The Leash

During my years as a journalist/News Producer, I remember bringing Ebunolu Adegboruwa (SAN) to the TV station to talk about the Lekki Toll Gate toll collection issue crisis. The Lekki Concession group had built the road and were tolling it. Some residents took them to court and got a court injunction barring the toll.

It was a hot topic and I worked hard to get the main protagonists on the issue to balance it, I also brought in another lawyer, a bigwig with Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Lagos who was retained by the government at the time as their counsel. The interview is still on YouTube.

The programme was 3 hours long. Barrister Ebunolu Adegboruwa began to spit fire with facts on the TV show. We had people calling in from all over appreciating and loving the show.
In my assessment, I had outdone myself. The presenter was on point and so were the talking heads.

Halfway through the programme, the owner of the TV show walked into the studio and whispered something to our Head of News.  The Head of news pointed to me and asked me to come outside the studio. When I got there, I found myself standing right in front of the owner of the TV Station.

The man said, "Where did you bring that man speaking from?"
I said, "He is a SAN and he is key to this discussion."
The owner of the station looked at me and said, "Get him out of my studio, I don't like him and I don't like what he is saying."
Wow!
I went back into the studio and we wrapped up the programme. After the guest had left, the owner and the Director of News called me into the office of the director of news. The owner said, "You are brilliant but sometimes you can be naive. Where do you think the funds to sponsor our programmes come from?" Where do you think your salary comes from? It is true that I started this TV station but I had high hopes that my relationship with the people in power would help sustain it.  Political currency has helped me over the years and I cannot bite the finger that feeds me. So don't bring such a guest here anymore.”
I protested.
“As a news programme producer, I spend hours calling potential guests every day in order to invite them for our TV shows. There are some who are always eager to be on TV who we use as gap fillers to air their opinion on issues but once in a while you land the big fish. When you do that, you should milk the individual as much as you can. Why ban certain guests who can provide balance to your coverage?”

The Head of News looked at me and said "Do you think Donald Trump will honour an invitation to talk on CNN?"
I said No.

Then he said, "Do you think Hillary Clinton will honour an invitation to speak at Fox News’ "The Five?" I said No.
He said, "What about The View? Do you think Donald Trump will attend their show?"
I said No.
Then he said, "News stations are politically slanted towards the politics of their owners.
They are never neutral.
There is something called Ownership Influence and it affects every News organization in the world. Nigeria is not different.
NTA is pro-government because it is owned and funded by government. So are all the state-owned media stations. The private TV and radio stations all sign MoUs with state governments and politicians. This was why the Ogun State governor at the time could say on TV to a particular TV station that, "Despite all the money I pay you, you still cover the news regarding my state negatively."
So you cannot be idealistic in journalism
You must understand that what the owner of a TV station believes is what he or she will want the station to project. It has nothing to do with truth or fact. It is all bias!"

I learnt my lesson from that day onwards but I resigned a week after that. I just stopped desiring to be a journalist. It wasn't what I had hoped it would be and my spirit was about restless peddling the opinion of others just because I want to earn a living.

I shared this so that many of us who have not seen it can. If I have my TV station as a politician, I'd rather speak there. If you have your TV station as a politician, you would prefer to speak there too.  You will avoid the opposition's TV station as much as possible.

If you're petty you'd use your journalists to heckle and harass the other candidates. If you're not you'd use them to promote your agenda.

I remember inviting Ishaq Akintola to the TV station and bringing a fiery pastor to oppose him on some issues happening in Lagos them relating to Islam and Christianity.

The News Producer said, "Do you want to start a riot in Lagos? They cannot go on the set at the same time." I had wanted them to face each other and thrash it out on TV like men but the News Producer understood that the show could easily provoke the viewers along religious lines.

-GSW-