Media Staff Welfare and Effective Journalism in Nigeria

Media Staff Welfare and Effective Journalism in Nigeria

Staff Welfare  – This chapter reviews literature relating to the theme and sub-theme of his study major ideas of this section are grouped and presented under the following sub-headings.

1)                The importance of staff welfare

2)                The need for press freedom

3)                The need for effective Journalism

4)                How journalists can be brought back to honour.

5)                Summary of related reviewed literature.    

 THE IMPORTANCE OF STAFF WELFARE

Ogbozor (1999) said that the first level needs such as food, clothing shelter at any point in time control a person’s behaviour. He went further to say that a hungry man is an angry man and that no body will like to work with an empty stomach and under a given circumstances, that the workers tend to be aggressive and this will cause productivity to be very low.

He added that apart from food, a person who is not well dressed would look odd in the mist of his colleagues. He also said that every body needs a place to rest after toiling for the day. He finally said that if food, clothing and shelter are not assured to a worker that there is no way the affected person could think of any other thing until these basic needs are met. Kalu (1989) asserted that the Nigerian journalist is not protected and his employer has no fixed standard of behaviour as far as personnel welfare is concerned.

Nwachukwu CC 1999:181) emphasized that one of the major problems confronting management is that of motivation workers to perform assigned tasks to meet or surpass predetermined standards. He further said that motivation is that energizing force that induces or compels and maintains behaviour. Human behaviour is motivated, it is goal directed.

Hatchen(1968) said that the African newsman is underpaid.

Agu / Eluka (1996) suggested that job performance should be monitored and that exceptional performance to be rewarded.

The also said that most organizations offer many services to their employees such as subsidized housing and medical services.

According to Farounbi (1978), “Employees give their loyalty duty and devotion to the organization: that these training are never bought but are earned through management actions that satisfy the complex needs for individual human dignity.

THE NEED FOR PRESS FREEDOM

Donalson / Gini (1984) wrote that many modern theories insist that employer modify their attitudes towards employees and be willing to grant an expanding and increasingly well defined set of employee rights.

They said that the rights include –The right of an employee to complain about dangerous products and practices without being penalized.

The right of an employee of an hearing before fired and the right of an employee to refuse immoral orders without being penalized.

Farounbi(1978) emphasized that the effect of government pressure is felt here in the developing countries and that the stations are supposed to be free from  governmental pressures.

Nwuneli (1985) pointed out that ownership of a country’s media is vested in government or concentrated in the hands of a group or a few individuals that the media tend to become more megaphones of those in control. He added that instead of performing the functions of surveying the environment, creating mutual relationship and transmitting culture, the media are turned into indispensable tools for retaining power by those controlling them. Journalists just follow the owner’s direction and sometimes a news item becomes killed.

It was written in world Report (1991:420) that the mandatory licensing or registration of journalists is a common method by which government control the media and promote self sponsorship.

Arnold (1997) said that the battle for the freedom of the press fought out during the century was a battle to report the affairs of parliament.

Kalu (1989) finally said that the issue at stake today is which way to the golden dawn when in fact majority of African governments are in fact courts reserved to intimidate at will all patriotic journalists”.

THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE

NUJ Press centre should be used purposefully, the principles of effective communication, how and effectively in speeding progress. The press centre journalist should study how social and economic development takes place, the principles of effective communication, how attitudes are formed and changed and so on.

Human beings are the lifeblood of any organization. The most vital assets, the profitability and even its survival depend on the work force.

The success of any public enterprise will depend on the caliber of officers who run the public corporations at all stages of policy formation and operational control.

Blunt / Popoola said that there is need to tie individual performance which is directed towards the accomplishment of organizational goals to desired rewards. They also added that the most obvious and potentially most effective antidote is to link security of tenure promotion and other organizational benefits to job performance.

Kalu 1989 asserted that to meet the challenges of the future, the journalist must develop a sense of professionalism. That the journalist must correct the impressions of the public that anyone can become journalist just by declaring that he is one.

He said that in the past, the journalist was not trained as there were no facilities, but today, the journalist must be trained. He also added that experience apart, training is another factor that should be given some attention.

Kalu also emphasized that the journalist in addition to the mastery of his professions, he must be more knowledgeable in every field of learning like Economics, law, mathematics, politics and so on. He said that competent staff is needed to produce better attractive and readable newspapers.

HOW THE JOURNALIST WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO HONOUR.

Kalu (1989) cited that some critics have been concerned about the loss of credibility and shortage of honest. Prolific also said that inspite of the noble status bestowed on the journalist either by implication or profession, many are not quite sure of his intentions or geniuses of his claimed concern for the society which he claims to be protecting.

Obasi (1999:7) said that journalism is no longer what it used to be in the area of truthfulness and honesty. He added that courage has fled from the land against the powers of the corrupt and the fraudulent are no longer there.

He lamented that journalism today is standing in the dock and also that journalism is anxious to regain the position it held when men like Peter Enahoro and Dele Giwa carried the mantle.

Kalu (1989) said that is journalists’ deviate from the demands of their calling that they are in breach of their professional ethics. And that in a situation where they perform with boldness and with truth as there ward word, then they meet with the demands of good conduct and the longing of other operators of the same system. He also added that the essence of journalists is more attuned to the truth and to time.

SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature reviewed shows that cognizance must be given t the welfare of the media staff if effective journalism must be achieved in Nigeria.

Again, the NUJ press centre must be given free hands to practice the profession. This is because in a situation where the journalist is at the mercy of owner, that is if the security of tenure is not the owner will dictate certain what the journalist will write or publish. But, if not, the reverse will be the case.

Also, the NUJ press centre and other must be trained and professionalized in their calling and the journalist must be knowledgeable in other fields of learning.

Finally, the activities or reports of the journalist must be honest and be based on the truth and nothing but the truth.

 

—This article is not complete———–This article is not complete————
This article was extracted from a Project Research Work/Material Topic

MEDIA STAFF WELFARE AND EFFECTIVE JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA

A CASE STUDY OF N.U.J PRESS CENTRE ENUGU STATE CHAPTER.

Click Here To get the full Project Research Work/Material

To Get Mass Communication Project Materials, Click Here!

Media Staff Welfare and Effective Journalism in Nigeria

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *