Smc newsletter june 14

SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION PAN-ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

SMC brief

June 2014

An In house publication of the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University

Editor’s Note

W

hat is work? For some, it is a burden, something to be avoided if possible. And this view is manifested in the slipshod work of a lot of us. We are content to put in the barest minimum, to render 'eye-service' and to give less than our best. This attitude harms both the individual concerned and the society at large.

The dictionary states that work is an “activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a result.” But what the dictionary does not add is that it is a means of personal growth and the acquisition of virtues. To carry out any piece of work, and to carry it out well, requires learning the skills needed for that job. It also requires self-mastery to combat laziness; fortitude to keep at the job even when it turns difficult; discipline to do it in an orderly way.

We can also add perseverance and a sense of responsibility. The list goes on, but the point is that work moves us to cultivate many qualities. Despising work, or treating it as something negative, is to miss out on the opportunities for self improvement.

Work is also a service to others and a means of building society. It is enough to take a look around us, at the many things that do not work in our country, to understand this. If I see my work – or lack of it – as being only for the good of that select but limited society of me, myself and I, then, quite clearly, I will do no more than is absolutely necessary to satisfy my selfish purposes. The generosity and spirit of sacrifice that ennoble the human person in work would quite obviously be missing.

Away from the subject of work, the lead story is on the Nollywood Studies Centre’s conference on distribution. And in the research section, Dr. Mike Okolo offers an interesting analysis on the survival of the printed newspaper. Enjoy the issue.

Ikechukwu Obiaya newsletter@smc.edu.ng

Ms. Patricia Bala, DG NFVCB, responds to a question

Nollywood Studies Centre Holds Conference on Distribution

T

here is a need for "a proper balancing of certain critical factors in the process of structuring and designing the most suitable framework for film distribution, with appropriate intermediaries and trained operatives to sell the film products in a socially responsible manner while pursuing profit motives." This was stated by Ms. Patricia Bala, the Director General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), while speaking at the 'Distribution in the Nigerian Film Industry' conference. The conference was organised by the School of Media and Communication's Nollywood Studies Centre and took place on the 26th and 27th of June, 2014.

Ms. Bala, who gave the keynote address on the first day of the conference, noted the vital role that distribution plays in "smoothening the flow of movies from filmmakers to consumers as it involves the process of making films/videos available for use or consumption by the final consumer." Hence the importance of having in place "an efficient and effective distribution system." This, she

however went on to add, is lacking in the Nigerian film industry, which has a deficient distribution structure.

A good part of the problem, the NFVCB Director General indicated, can be traced to the informal character of much of the industry's distribution system. She nevertheless added that it i s m o re wo r r i s o m e " t h at t h e noticeable weaknesses [of the system] are direct consequences of lack of experience, gaps in professional staffing, shortage of credible and legitimate outlets, which is a huge shortcoming that fans piracy, as well as the limited capacity to nurture relationships and the distribution footprints needed to reach audiences."

These weaknesses have led to huge financial losses for many of those that have ventured into the filmmaking business.

Ms. Bala went on to stress the need for greater synergy among all the stakeholders in the film/video distribution sector in Nigeria so as to promote a value-chain that takes into account the public interest…never sacrificing the greater good and Continued on page 2

2 SMC BRIEF June 2014

Nollywood Studies Centre Holds Conference on Distribution Continued from page 1

Ms. Mary Ephraim makes a contribution

Messrs. Akinyele Balogun (L) & Adetunji Ojetola (R)

Messrs. Tony Abulu and Kene Mkparu

Ms. Afra Dekkie and Dr. Alessandro Jedlowski

Participants at the conference

Igwe Gaboski Okoye makes a contribution

societal wellbeing while keeping abreast of ever shifting dynamics of the operating environment." She stressed the commitment of the NFVCB towards "creating the enabling environment for the industry to continue to flourish and blossom, contributing to the nation's GDP to the benefit of all.�

The NFVCB Director General welcomed both the establishment of the Nollywood Studies Centre and the organisation of the conference itself.

According to her, "the Nollywood Centre and this derivative conference on movie distribution are, no doubt, an unequivocal expression of a growing appreciation that movies matter and, in the specific context, this conference shows an awareness of the centrality of distribution in this dynamic industry."

Earlier, in his introduction to the conference, the Director of the Nollywood Studies Centre (NSC), Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya, explained that the decision to hold the conference was motivated by what the NSC was established to do. According to him, the NSC was set up to promote the study of the industry and to contribute to its development. Given the importance of distribution and the fact that it is key to the growth of the industry, it was only logical, he said, that the first conference of the NSC be centred on the topic.

However, he noted that the goal of the conference was not merely to have another talk shop. Rather, it was hoped that the conference would serve to map the already existing solutions to the problems of distribution and to identify new possibilities. The mix of academics, industry practitioners, financiers and re p re s e ntat i ve s o f gove r n m e nt agencies, Dr. Obiaya said, was indicative of what the conference organisers

Barrister Chris Nkwocha

hoped to achieve.

Also speaking, the Dean of the School of Media and Communication, Prof. Emevwo Biakolo, in his welcome address, emphasised the importance of the conference. Everyone, Prof. Biakolo said, is aware that film production has escalated in the country, but one needs to question what has happened with distribution, which has not succeeded in getting off the ground. He went on to say that the conference would have to respond to questions such as whether the present distribution model was working and whether it is leading to consumer satisfaction. An additional importance of the conference, the Dean said, lay in the fact that it would facilitate the gathering of data and promote further research.

The conference was then declared open by the Vice Chancellor of the PanAtlantic University, Prof. Juan Elegido.

Prof. Elegido expressed his pleasure at the conference, noting that it fit into the tradition of the University, which strives to maintain a lively connection with industry. The subject matter of the conference, he said, was of special interest since distribution is a key concern for every industry. Distribution, he noted, is the real arena for competitive action.

Various papers from industry practitioners and academics were presented during the conference. The National Copyrights Commission (NCC) was also represented in the person of Barrister Chris Nkwocha, the Zonal Director of the NCC's Lagos office. The event ended with a cocktail and a raffle draw. The main prize for the raffle draw was donated by Microsoft, one of the main sponsors of the event.

Alex Eyengho (Msc. FT4) makes his presentation

3 SMC BRIEF June 2014

SMC Update Ms Funke-Treasure Durodola (CME 4) has been appointed General Manager of Radio Nigeria's Radio One (103. 5 FM). The appointment took effect on June 4, 2014. As GM of Radio One, Ms. Durodola is expected to re-engineer the station's programming and transform it into an all-news, all-talk, and all-sports radio station. This will mean a change from Radio One's current menu of religious programmes and its popular Yoruba language programmes. The primary language of broadcast for the station will now be English. According to Ms. Durodola, “My goal, as I take over the mantle of leadership from Mrs. Sherifat Ahmed, the erstwhile General Manager, is to make Radio One the favourite station of that format in Lagos in terms of audience reach and market share.” We wish her the best in her new task.

students. The seminar, which was themed “Media and Communication: career prospects and emerging opportunities,” took place at Fountain Heights School, in Adelabu, Surulere, on the 18th of June, 2014. The CME 5 group was led by the class president, Mr. Aaron Ukodi.

Speakers on the occasion included Mr. Kelechi Samuel (CME 5), Mr Keneth Esere, the director of the Media Unit of the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, and Mr. Kamal Salau (CME 5). They all sought to unveil the existing opportunities in the digital online space. Amongst other things, they spoke to the students about the opportunities and roles that the graphics designer has in the online/digital media space, and the need for technical skills in this digital age. The presentations were followed by an interactive session. There were 7 schools in attendance.

Members of the Certificate in Media Enterprise Group Five class (CME 5) have organized a corporate social responsibility seminar for senior secondary

The CME 15 class has hosted an event to celebrate the birthdays that fell in June of members of the class. The event was held at the cafeteria of the School, on Friday, the 25th of June, and the class president, Mr. Charles Uzodimma, handed out gifts to the celebrants. The event was a first for an ongoing professional education class.

Is Print Media Dead or Dying?

Continued from page 4 significantly reduced today. A little investment on Adobe for example will help to develop the content, and a relatively inexpensive printing can then go on to get out cheaper copies. ii. Loyal readers – there are still a significant number of consumers who cherish holding and reading their newspapers. This could be on the dinning table, at break time in the office or tea time at home when the use of gadgets for online activities may not be convenient.

In a study conducted by Streaming Media (Schumacher-Rasmussen, E., 2009) with their consumers, they found that 67% would like to have their hard Ms. Isabella Akinseyethe web. prints while 59% prefer Furthermore, they found that 60% of their respondents keep the magazine for future reference while 45% gave it to a friend or coworker. In the same research, they found that 43% of the respondents have contacted an advertiser in the magazine while 37% used information from the newsprint to make vital decisions on purchases.

There are a few drawbacks in the research. Such results depend on the quality of journalism as these effects

may not have arisen from it being a print but based on the content of the print.

The story is not different in Canada.

Kuitenbrouwer (2011, p 1) shows how the National Ethic Press and Media Council of Canada's membership increased from 50 to 650 within 30 years. The number has since been increasing steadily. He recounted that in Toronto, there are seven English newspapers and seven ethnic ones, and that this trend is common in most parts of Canada. d.

Print may be dead or dying but news and journalism are rife.

There are some studies that have shown that though print may be dead or dying, journalism as a profession is still at the peak. McChesney, and Nichols (2009 p. 104) have shown that in the media ecology, much of the news received is still originated and developed by journalists. The report showed that 80% of the stories were earlier told by the traditional media but repackaged into various forms for websites, blogs and others. These sites merely redistributed what was earlier published.

Recommendation and Conclusion As the question continues to rage, it is important to have in mind that the answers will depend on so many factors such as the location of the publishers, quality of the print, interest of the consumers, interest of advertisers, and so on. It is my opinion that print will be around with us for several years. The volume produced and consumed however will be significantly reduced.

Much of all these will depend on the quality of output both for the traditional and the new media. Consumers will go towards a better quality, not necessarily the medium. A lot therefore will depend on the content development, credibility and reliability of sources of information.

When the storm created by the online news space settles, the direction, whether toward the newsprint or not, will depend on the total quality of journalism. In other words, consumers, and indeed advertisers, will seek out better news, whether it is from print or from the online space.

Dr. Mike Okolo is the Director of Academic Education in the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University.

4 SMC BRIEF June 2014

Research Notes: Is Print Media Dead or Dying?

T

he origin of newspapers dates back to early 17th century when bulletins where circulated as a means of information dissemination to the communities. Soon after, the printed periodical became common and quickly replaced the handwritten news sheets common then. Very quickly too, the printing press, as we know it today, was born. Since then, the newspaper has played a part in our lives in one way or another, from providing breaking news to reports on the weather, deaths, and so on. For a very long time, it was the primary source of information for current events.

Over the years, the production, and indeed the utilization of the newspaper have been on the decline so much so that it is feared it is heading to extinction. This essay therefore is to examine the veracity of this assertion and possibly proffer solutions based on the available information.

Arguments for and against There are several ideas proposed by academics, practitioners and ardent followers of news on whether the print news is dead. While some believe that it is dead already, some others think that it is dying. Another group is of the opinion that it is neither dead nor dying; while yet another set believe that what is dead is not journalism but newsprint. Based on these, I have categorized this writeup under four headings. a.

Print is dead The proponents of this assertion have referred to the gradual death of the newsprint from day one of radio, TV and now internet. Several examples abound of prominent newspapers that have either died outrightly, have combined online activities with newsprints or have abandoned the newsprint completely for online journalism. Lynne (2013, p. 3) refers to the decision of a 'satirical and parody' news organization - Onion Inc. based in Chicago, and liked by its audience, to suspend its print for a preferred digital content. The reason was not based on the preference of its readers but on the choice of its advertisers. Ironically, Onion had mentioned the death of print in its own publication headline in July that year – Print Dead in 1803. In the publication, Onion mentioned other newspaper

outfits like Timeout Chicago, Newsweek and some Metro newspapers (Lynne, 2013, p. 3) b.

Print is dying There are people who believe that print has passed through an inevitable slow death. This death started with the advent of TV and radio, and it seems that the internet was the last nail on the coffin. Several reasons have been attributed to this. Meyer (2004, p 4) shows that the decline of the newspaper dates back to 1920 when the newspaper household penetration was at 130. He defines the household penetration as

There are people who believe that the print has passed through an inevitable slow death. This death started with the advent of TV and radio and it seems that the internet was the last nail on the coffin.

information if survival is to be assured.

Shirky (2009) cited in McChesney, R. W. and Nichols, J. (2009, p 38) re-echoe Meyer's thought. He is of the opinion that owners of newspapers saw and envisaged the impact the internet would have but could not articulate early enough how to deal with the issue. At about the 1990s, he said, they came up with many suggestions like: • Partner with some of the fast growing internet companies to aid distribution • Educate the public on how to deal with copyright issues, presumably when online journalist would infringe on their rights • Develop new and easy payment methods, maybe online • Ask the hardware and the software companies to make their products less capable of sharing.

They sought to preserve the old order rather than come up with models in response to the changes. As we know today, these were very ineffective and therefore aided the slow death of the papers.

Mcchesney and Nichols (2009 p.

104) is a scary one. They show that well over a hundred newspapers stopped printing. This was not dependent on size as it affected both the big and small ones. Some shifted from daily to weekly, and others restricted their circulation.

Between 2007 and 2009, they showed that workers were laid off at the rate of over 1000 a month. The inference from this is a dying concept. c.

the average daily circulation of a percentage of households. He showed that by 2001, the household penetration had dropped to 54.

In Nigeria for example, newspapers are at very high risk for several reasons.

Newspaper production was driven largely by adverts rather than the content they have. As advertisers are seeking alternatives, some newspaper houses have resorted to distributing their products free of charge to reputable institutions as a way of reaching their target. I do think that this is the action of a drowning industry.

Meyer (2004, p 201) has provided some of the things that can be done to save, not only the print but journalism in general. From his research, he found that newspapers that operate where they are trusted do better than others. It is therefore imperative to ensure a high level of credibility and accuracy of

Print is not dead Contrary to the expectations of many, there are others that believe print is not dead. In the review of Morello (2011, p7) where he related the impact of Google as a search engine, she opines that magazine readership has indeed increased by 11% in a period of 12 years of Google. She opines that messages go to mobile devices, on-demand media, internet and others, and that these make the consumer easily tuned off. She is of the opinion, while quoting an advert campaign, that internet grabs you, but magazine embraces you. Her study has shown that in the cluttered online space, messages are received by consumers every second as against about 43 minutes spent reading a magazine.

One of the points to consider in support of print being alive has to do with the following: I. Cost – the cost of printing has Continued on page 3