TRENDING:
'Nigeria Broadcast Media Compromised, Lack Objectivity’-Peace Chikodinaka Eze, Asst. Producer, Africa Independent Television

*Says: “Quality of News Dissemination Contrary to Contextual Reflections in Society”
*Explain: “Irresponsible Media miss out in Breaking News & Report Untrue Stories”
*Lament: “Press Freedom not Free in Nigeria, Govt. established Anti-Press Laws to Restrain Journalists”
*Confesses: “Timely Breaking News Served Hot market the Image of my Station”
*States: “National Broadcasting Commission should Regulate Activities of Social Media Operators in Nigeria”
*Offers Advise to NUJ, NGE on Best Way to Curb the menace of Fake Journalists or Blackmail Bloggers
*PLUS Why all Broadcast Media in Nigeria must meet June 2017 deadline for digital transmission


PEACE Chikodianaka Eze is a cerebral and vast journalist working presently with DAAR Communications, owners of Africa Independent Television and Ray Power FM. She is highly intelligent, always thinking outside the box. She started as a News Anchor/Reporter/Researcher until her meritorious hardwork positioned her for elevation as Assistant News Producer. This graduate of International Relations and Strategic Studies in an Exclusive Interview with CNN iReport Journalist, GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU tells her story of media rise to stardom, narrates challenges facing Broadcast Media, Proffer Solutions to era of Fake Journalists or Blackmail Bloggers and how the nation’s electronic media compromised and lack quality objectivity in news dissemination.

Q: How will you describe the role of Broadcast Media in Nigeria’s present Democracy?
A: Media whether print or broadcast have a singular aim of promoting the collective interest of the public and a media system is key to the enthronement and sustenance of a credible democratic process because a broadcast media house can not effectively operate in a non democratic environment. Consequently, the broadcast media in Nigeria’s present Democracy is to a good extent a channel of mass communication even though it is at the moment being compromised because they are hardly objective in matters particularly those affect their states and ruling political party.

Q: Will you say Nigerian media (both print/electronic) have failed Nigerians’ expectation on quality news dissemination?
A: Well, it’s quite unfortunate to say that the quality of News disseminated in Nigeria through the media system hardly aligns with the contextual reflections in the society as they can easily be faulted.

Q: How will you describe a situation where a broadcast media missed out in timely reporting a Breaking News, yet gaffe on some occasions reporting untrue stories?
A: Such situations are simply Irresponsible and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Q: Do you think Nigeria media body is being censored by the Federal Government as regards the kind of news to or not to disseminate?
A: Like in other parts of the world, the freedom of media in Nigeria do not exist one hundred percent. The government imposes censorship on media through the establishment of some laws such as the seditious law, law of defamation, copyright laws among others and this I must say restrains the press from reporting what they feel is unethical and unprofessional to the society.

Q: How come some broadcast media outfits in Nigeria are still analogue in this 21st modern century finding it difficult to go digital on airwaves?
A: Finance and Untrained staff with archaic equipment for me is the reason why some broadcast media outfit in Nigeria are still analogue but with the June 2017 deadline for digital transmission it’s hoped that analogue broadcasting in Nigeria would become a thing of the past.

Q: What impact do you think Social Media will create in furthering news engagement in broadcast media?
A: The social media platform will go a long way in furthering News engagement in broadcast media because it allows media outfits engage different and younger audiences as it is easily accessible and most people are happy to rely on mainstream News.

Q: As an Assistant Producer with Africa Independent Television (AIT), if you witness a News Break, how many minutes will it take you to queue it on air by transmitting LIVE?
A: Like I often say “Every News break must be served hot,any slight delay makes it stale”, hence giving priority to breaking News makes me fulfilled and happy. It really does not take me more than a minute to queue any breaking News on air because as an Assistant Producer I believe it markets the image of my station better.

Q: How best can we stop the practice of gutter or yellow journalism by some bloggers who desirous of blackmailing the elites and top public office holders resort to publishing lies?
A: Yellow journalism can only be curbed or stalled when stringent rule and regulations are placed on bloggers. The National Broadcasting Commission should be made to come alive to the responsibility of regulating the activities of the social media operators in Nigeria.

Q: How do you think the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) can end the activities of ‘fake journalists and blackmail bloggers’?
A: The Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild Of Editors can only be able to put an end to this menace which has bedevilled the journalism profession when they decide to take the bull by the horn. There should be a strong database for practicing journalists in Nigeria and something ( maybe an identity card) that is capable of distinguishing a true journalist from a fake one.

Q: How come most media owners in Nigeria are owing journalists their salaries, whereas the employers live luxuriously in affluence?
A: The issue of poor staff welfare is undoubtably the order of the day in Nigeria because there are no stiff rules guiding media owners in the country hence the employees are subjected to different inhuman treatment from there employers.

Q: How best can journalists be trained in Nigeria on modern media gadgets as practicable abroad?
A:Journalists can be trained in Nigeria through various Media institutions available in the country although it is quite sad to know that most of these outfits lack the necessary tools/equipment needed to train pressmen.

Q: Kindly mention some of your evergreen moments in your media career…
A: Wow! I have got several green moments in my profession but the one which thrilled me the most is the donation of first aid kits and manual borehole to a community in the Nigerian Capital where inhabitants die everyday from Schistosomiasis disease as a result of a contaminated river where they all drink from. Sincerely I was so glad to see how my News Report positively affected an entire community. It was indeed one of the best moments in my career.

Q: Finally, do you have any regret being a media professional in Nigeria and what other career would you have embraced outside the media?
A: The media profession isn’t a bad idea even though I have my background on International Relations and Strategic Studies. Touching lives and helping humanity is my passion but if am to leave this professional then I will practice what I studied.