By Dele Sobowale

“History does not repeat itself; man does.”

Barbara Tuchman, American Historian authority on 13/14th Century Europe.

This article could just as well have been written under the title IS JOURNALISM A PROFESSION? Since our return to civil rule in 1999, the rapid turnover of editors, columnists and reporters, after every election points to the fact that in Nigeria, unlike most of the advanced countries, media work is seen by journalists as a mere stepping stone to something else – not a career in itself.

I am not a journalist, but having worked closely with ‘pen-pushers’ or ‘laptop luggers’ for almost 17 years, and with a researcher’s instinct for finding new areas of study, I have observed the election year- tsunamis. And, another one is about to hit the media in 2011.

Three years and 11 months ago, I wrote on this page, a column, entitled From Voice To Echo. It first occurred to me in 2007 that a pattern has emerged which many have not noticed. After every election, new political officers assume office. And, even re-elected officers decide to re-arrange their offices.

The media are quite often one of the most affected. Starting from the President and Vice-President, down to governors, ministers and “last ladies”, vacancies open up for Senior Special Advisers (Media),  Chief Press Secretary etc. to serve the latest transient holders of power. Among the first ports of call is the media –print and electronic.

Since 1999, such appointments have repeatedly swept away some of the brightest and best editors; the most-engaging columnists and the most reliable correspondents. In 2007, because certain individuals were named in that article, more heat than light was generated. “Friends and foes” of Segun Adeniyi and Dele Sobowale ended up obscuring the point that I was making.

This time, I decided to write before the appointments are made. So, there will be no names to use as example and no distractions from the main theme. Let me quickly summarise what was written then, to act as aide memoir, and serve as the point of departure for this column which, as usual, has a message for several stakeholders in the media.

The stakeholders, let me also add, include publishers and owners, Editors, columnists, readers and even agents. In 2007, the points made were the following. First, the editor, columnist, correspondent who accepts appointment to public office, after acquiring great reputation as a journalist (defined as stickler for truth; though not often so in practice), I called him a “VOICE”, trades his relative freedom to write or speak the truth for the higher remuneration package of an official and becomes an “ECHO”.

The new Chief Press Secretary must, from the first day, say only what he is ordered to say – even if it is not the truth. And, we should always bear in mind the admonition by I.F Stone, US journalist who said, “Every government is run by liars and nothing they say should be believed.” (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 80).

Granted Stone exaggerated; but it is demonstrable that no government tells all the truth about its operations all the time. That explains why it has taken so long to get the FoI bill passed. So, the new appointee crosses the threshold between those professionally and ethically enjoined to publish the truth “as best as (they) can come close to it” (Malvin Kalb, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 109) and joins those determined to hide the truth if it is unfavourable to them. Examples include the way the public was deceived during Obasanjo’s bid for the third term and
Yar’Adua’s last days on earth.

Second, the reputations of very few journalists, who cross the threshold, ever survive the change. Invariably, there is some issue which pits the government against the governed and the former “fire-eating” columnist who could be counted on to defend the public is now the one peddling the government propaganda. I cannot think of any of those who decamped in 2007 who has grown in public esteem since then. Few will ever again write columns and when they do, they find the reception so hostile they soon give it up.

Call it exile, or what you will, the departure entails a one-way ticket. So, for the journalist embarking on this journey his first and abiding prayer is that his stay in government office will last long enough to pile up money for the life outside public office. Those who will soon be called will be well advised to consult round before taking the plunge. It could be financially rewarding; and it could be suicidal – even in financial terms.

The media houses will also have problems of their own. In 2007, one newspaper lost seven “pillars” of the paper. It took almost six months before all the gaps could be filled. Even papers that don’t lose directly, i.e, through appointment, lose indirectly through poaching by other papers urgently needing replacements.

Given, the result of the 2011 elections, two Lagos-based papers and two Abuja-based papers will experience the worst impact of this year’s tsunami. Victorious politicians tend to reward journalists they believe have been “cooperative”. That, of course, calls into question whether my colleagues in the media have always been upright.

The papers that will suffer the worst hits were the same papers which supported PDP and ACN. The ruling party has more jobs to offer. ACN comes next with its victories in the South-West. Occasionally, though, wonders occur. For example, Obasanjo, in 2002, moved into “enemy” territory and picked someone who had written critical columns about his government. And, till today, the fellow had become a permanent echo; with him OBJ can do no wrong.  NATION should not make the mistake that PDP will not call.

As for the readers, that includes me (I read seven newspapers every day –if there is time), we should get ready for the loss of some of our favourite columnists, editors, reporters etc. Soon we will see other faces on the pages. Writing from personal experience, it takes quite some time to get used to a new writer – however, engaging. After a while, a bond is formed with some columnists; you instinctively reach for the paper on the day their columns will appear and feel cheated when they are not there. Mrs Adenle, where are you?

Let me close the first part of the series on election year-tsunamis by asking two questions. One, why is it that in Nigeria we don’t have editors, columnists who stay on the job for 30, 40, 50 years as in other countries?  In the US, Walter Lippmann James Reston, Mike Royko, Bob Woodward, William Buckley, Jr, George Will etc. etc. were columnists for decades in the US.  Many newspapers published columnists guaranteed to hold opposite views on any issue at the same time to provide balance. Two, are media owners and top executives of media planning for the coming tsunami in June?