In this interview, a university don at the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, Dr Hassan Ya’u argues that the debates and discussion programs conducted by media outlets with politician ahead of the 2019 polls may have limited effect on the choices of Nigerians.
WikkiTimes’ Musa Ibrahim started by asking him, whether he was satisfied with the performance of the media ahead of the polls?
Dr. Hassan Ya’u: I think the role or performance of the mass media in 2019 elections should not be at variance with any other democratic election. Essentially, the mass media is one of the arms of democratic institutions is expected to principally raise the awareness of the electorates especially on voter education, how to vote, and where to vote.
Essentially, these are some of the main functions mass media in any democratic election. However, the mass media is expected expand this role thereby becoming the watch-dog on the democratic institutions—the institutions that are vested with the responsibility of conducting the election itself.
So the mass media should ensure that all the organizations and institutions as well as other important stakeholders that are vested with the responsibility of conducting election in a country are being monitored; this will foster peaceful and smooth elections.
WikkiTimes:From the various discussions program that have been conducted by different media outfits involving many politicians, we have seen them use statistics as basis for their argument, some of them were fact-checked and it was found out that some of the statistics used are wrong, do you think the media needs a different approach in covering them?
Dr. Hassan Ya’u: The mass media is a professional social institution, and generally journalists are also professional individuals. In disseminating information, Journalists as professionals must be objective, and must ensure that whatever information they are disseminating to the audience are authoritative and can be verified.
Checkmating such excesses will be made easier when journalists conduct research before conducting interviews. It is important for a journalist before he or she conducts any interview to make research on whatever topic they are going to engage the politicians on. So at the point of the interview, when unsubstantiated claims or wrong statistics are used, the journalist at that moment may be able to counter authoritatively that the information giving is wrong and be able to point to other authoritative and verifiable sources.
WikkiTimes: Media spectators and scholars sometimes argue that the Nigerian media is unable to hold politicians channel their campaigns around issues instead of personal attacks, what is the media doing wrong?
Dr. Hassan Ya’u: You see, one of the most important functions of the mass media is to set public agenda. By setting agenda, the media has a responsibility of identifying issues that could be discussed by the public and that could be of interest not to the politician. I think this is where the mass media in Nigeria is getting it wrong. Every question you are expected to direct to a politician should be a question that would provoke issues; it should be a question that would direct the attention of the politician to the main or key issues in the society. Therefore, it is expected that the media should conduct an in-depth research and then find out what are the key issues in the society and be able to direct these issues in to politicians and that will help politicians articulate properly and efficiently how to address these key issues in the society.
The most important thing is for the media and journalists alike to find out the key issues in the society so that whatever questions a journalist is directing to a politician, that question should provoke discussions about the main issues that are bedeviling the society.
WikkiTimes: Do you think the conversations and debates carried out by many media organizations for the mean time is enough to enable Nigerians make an informed decision during the elections?
Dr. Hassan Ya’u: You see, either Presidential or gubernatorial debate conducted by the media, it is only one of the platforms through which politicians advertise themselves to the electorate.
There is this theory which assumes that whatever you see or hear from the mass media has limited influence and effect. Therefore, the predisposition of the electorates concerning each and every candidates of each and every political party is more important. Now, look at even in advance democracies like the USA, during the presidential debates between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, you will noticed that during that debate, Hilary Clinton won, she had a favorable attitude and was able to convince the US citizens about her candidature. But eventually Donald Trump won the election. It is not enough for a candidate to perform well in presidential or gubernatorial debate organize by the media, it is important to realize that, the media is only one of the platforms. Other platforms such as door-to-door campaigns, jingles from radio and television also help.
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WikkiTimes: In previous elections, promises were made to Nigerians, do you think the media has done well in propping up debates regarding previous promises and to what extent has that shaped the 2019 electioneering?
Dr. Hassan Ya’u: You see, in Nigeria unfortunately, most of the incumbents failed to attend debates organized by the media which would have been an avenue and an opportunity to journalist to follow up those promises, but unfortunately the incumbents felt that such avenue are not favorable for them to sit there. Answer questions and articulate issues about their promises.
But when you don’t have the incumbents there, you can challenge them properly. I think it is high time that politicians especially the incumbent begin to get this culture of attending organized debates by the media so that they could use those platforms to articulate their promises or explain why they failed in some areas.
