1. I bring you warm wishes from the Media Ombudsman which is also known as the National Media Complaints Commission on the occasion of the biennial convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. I have been asked by our chairman, Emeka Izeze, FNGE, and colleagues to thank you for inviting us to shed some light on the mission of the new body.
2. I will like to begin with some general thoughts on the place of the media in society. Every society has a legitimate interest in determining what ends its media systems are directed to.
3. Every media system has an historic duty to develop, promote, and protect its vision of the professional practice that it has earned for itself.
4. In the same vein, every government tries to put in place a media system that does not give them endless sleepless nights.
5. Nigeria has a rich history of an ambivalent relationship between the media, its citizens, and government. In broad terms, whilst some see the media as an important pillar of democracy that has demonstrated commendable resilience and patriotism over the years, others may choose to see it as a meddling tool of the privileged and powerful to foist their own biases on society, pretending to serve the public good. Yet many also see it as a powerful tool that needs steady guidance and support for it to play out its true role as a guiding light of society.
6. The Nigerian media in general subscribes to a guiding philosophy of journalism that is free, strong, and socially responsible. The challenge has always been to marry the interests of the government, media, and the public in such a way that the attending tensions and conflicts are managed in a way that does not destroy the binding social cords.
7. How does society achieve this delicate balancing act? It is through an understanding of the rules of engagement that are encapsulated in the journalists’ professional code of ethics. It is through the use of civilised engagements, and the instruments of the law. But because not all conflicts need to end in the law courts, not all conflicts are of a criminal nature, there is the alternative dispute resolution mechanism that allows for such conflicts arising from alleged ethical violations to be resolved through mediation.
8. The media ombudsman mechanism is one such body that has been established to handle complaints of an ethical nature against Nigerian journalists and media organisations. It involves receiving complaints of an alleged ethical breach from any member of the public, serving such notice to the media where there is merit in it, and inviting a response. It involves arriving at a decision after a thorough and fair review.
9. *Publication of rulings:*
“If the Ombudsman upholds the complaint, the publication concerned will be obliged to publish the decision in full, and with reasonable prominence, within *seven days* of the ruling being delivered to it. All NPAN members shall be obliged to publish an abstract of the ruling produced by the Ombudsman *not later than 14 days* of the delivery of the ruling to the publication.
Where the Ombudsman determines that a particular ruling affects the fundamental rights of the parties involved or is of grave importance to journalism practice and/or the publishing industry, then the ruling shall be published by the publication involved and all members of NPAN within seven days of the ruling. This provision is necessary to ensure that only very important cases are published in full.
10. Unlike the previous model of statutory regulation known variously as the Nigerian Media Council and later the Nigerian Press Council, the Media Ombudsman subscribes to what is described as co-regulation. It is a coming together of nine professionals from the media, law, academia, civil society and government. It employs the power of moral suasion, anchored on the knowledge of the Code of Ethics for Nigerian journalists, to evaluate media conduct. It does not suffer the unhealthy suspicion of seeing a statutory press council as an attempt to emasculate the Nigerian media.
11. That is what the organised media comprising of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, and several Media NGOS subscribe to. That is what we ask the Guild as one of the midwives of the Media Ombudsman to rally round and support. You can do so by ensuring that you comply with the invitations of the Ombudsman, by publicising its decisions, and in kindling public trust in its processes because it is in our enlightened self interest to do so.
12. Since the adoption of a new code of ethics on November 14, 2022, and the inauguration of the board on April 3, 2023, we have commenced work. With your help, we are determined to represent the best interests of the Nigerian people. Will you help us to employ the power of moral suasion and the name-and-shame mechanism to strengthen public confidence in our media?
We thank you.
*Remarks at the 2023 Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Owerri, Imo State, June 16, 2023.
