The press: Guardian or gladiator?

A dispute recently arose between The Nation newspaper and the Nigerian Guild of Editors. The paper criticized the Guild for allowing politicians like Peter Obi to appear at its Enugu conference. Guild leaders rejected claims of bias, explaining that they invited several other political parties and that hearing from politicians does not make an event partisan.

This clash highlights ongoing concerns about media independence across Nigeria. While The Nation is closely linked to President Bola Tinubu, critics argue that claims of bias require solid proof rather than assumptions. Both news organizations and professional groups are expected to explain their decisions openly whenever their fairness and public responsibilities are questioned by others.

A doctoral research project into the 2023 elections also examined how Nigerian newspapers cover politics. Sam Ende, a mass communication scholar at IBB University in Niger State, stated that media election coverage mostly recorded campaign trips and prepared statements. He explained that reporters rarely examined or questioned the promises and claims made by political candidates.

Source: Punch