CHALLENGES OF NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION IN NIGERIA

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: Newspapers, which constitute the vocal and vibrant press, have consistently championed the fight against colonialism, and been crusading for democracy, human rights and good governance in Nigeria, the Newspaper industry has been regarded as one of the biggest industry as it has been growing from strength to strength over the years. Despite the constant assaults by successive despotic regimes, it has been able to survive and currently it serves as an employer of a myriad of workers. Interestingly, the Draconian laws promulgated to stifle the development of the Newspaper industry have only left it stronger.

The Origin of Newspaper publishing in Nigeria dates to 1859, when one of the early European Missionaries, Rev Henry Townsend established a printing press on which Africa’s first and oldest vernacular newspaper IWE IROHIN was printed. The early Nigerian Newspapers then did not have the impersonal character of their modern successors nor did they experience the competition of other vehicles of mass communication and public Opinion. Owned and edited in the illiberal situation of the crown colony system mostly by persons of stature in society, the newspapers exercised a degree of influence which bore no relationship to their low standards of presentation and modest circulation. What they published whether written by themselves or contributed by other people, invariably represented their own policies and viewpoints which attracted attention.

With the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914 and the increase in nationalist tempo, there was an increase in the number and variety of newspapers. In contrast to sixteen papers published between 1880 and 1914, sixty-four were published between 1914 and 1945. The amalgamation led to an increase in the market and circulation of newspapers and new opportunities owing, for instance, to better communication. However, the most important factor that stimulated the growth and changes in the newspaper industry was the advent of electoral politics. The industry expanded with the constitutional changes which gradually devolved power to the indigenous educated elite. The changes were not limited to ownership and control but included pattern of media partisanship. The close parallel between newspapers and political parties began during the period starting with the legislative council election under the 1922 Clifford Constitution. All the leading newspaper owners and journalists were also leaders of the main political parties, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (N.N.D.P.) and the Nigerian Youth Movement (N.Y.M.) The newspapers aligned themselves to each of these parties during the campaign. According to Fred Omu, from the 1920s, the newspapers “shifted their focus from that of political group supporters to organs of the political parties.” (Omu: 1978, p.232)

The newspaper became a major instrument not only of political party publicity but of recruitment and a vehicle for attaining political power. To a good number of the pre-independent political parties, having a newspaper as an ally was an organisational imperative. Writing of the Nnamdi Azikwe led National Council for Nigeria and Cameroons (N.C.N.C.), James Coleman provided this instructive observation.

The importance attached to the party newspaper was so enormous that Coleman believed that party organisations were built “around the press, rather than around organised members.” (ibid) Further, the newspaper industry benefited from the growth in private commercial printing establishments. It was now possible for newspaper owners to publish without owning a printing press.

The most important changes in the structure of ownership came with the dominance of Nigerians in the industry. More importantly, the small scale owner-editor operations of the pre-war years gave way to corporate ownership. The focus and horizon of the papers, if not the interests represented was now broadened, going beyond Lagos.

In spite of its efforts to reach out to a large population in Society, there has been inadequate funding as a result of:low copy sales, illiteracy level, which affects the level of readership in the country, the low per-capita income of the generality of citizens. This has led to the poor remuneration of staff, inadequate maintenance of equipment, lack of quality production of Newspaper due to obsolete machines which have not yet been replaced and a lot more.