"Sowore Disengages from elendireports.com"

Posted by: Dr. Joseph Ozigis Akomodi

Written by: Miriam Ikunaiye


“Sowore Disengages from elendureports.com”

From a journalistic point of view, whosoever upholds interests over certain discussable reality or event compromises journalistic integrity and public right to know.

“Sowore Disengages from elendureports.com” an elendureports.com front page headline, which by the way, I considers a diplomatic disclaimer or else Sowore’s picture is unnecessary as at this point. According to what I read so far, Sowore quits over controversy about the story he wrote on Gbenga Obasanjo.

Mr. Sowore, the man I never met but only spoke to him one time and that's about five months ago. However, I have followed his write-ups religiously; that’s how good a writer he is. I can easily see how such a classic and an unrepentant writer is unfit for Nigerian style of journalism.

We are all familiar with many of the corrupting devices of Nigerian journalism—the hopeless addiction to praise-singing, lack of investigative reporting, the treating of politicians and the rich as untouchables, the absence of coverage on issues that affects ‘ordinary’ man. Controlled-media is breaking up, and we are entering an almost-feudal period of journalism where there will be many more opinion or voice-outlets.

I am skeptical of journalists covering controversial issues with naivety. The basis of modern journalism is bringing people knowledge of events in fierce and timely manner. Real journalist strives to expose things that ought to be exposed, and thereby prevent evils, even if he or she becomes an object of critic for his or her story.

Sowore’s exit from elendureports.com is visible —as in double header, one is a retraction of the other. It is a fact that what confirms one’s opinion gives pleasure, what seems to refute it gives pain. Therefore, some stories are meant to pull eyebrow; thanks to a right to rejoinder. Retraction at every whine is a sign of witlessness and that's unprofessional.

Journalist is not novelist or philosopher therefore, if there is news-lead with neither of the party forthcoming with facts or interview, does this kill the story? Absolutely not. Good journalists write with the facts at hand leaving the readers to draw their own conclusion, although, he might later write a follow up. To ignore what is newsworthy is doing disservice to the readers.

The good news about bad news —controversial story, is precisely that it brings about debate or engage people thereby polarize your medium plus popularize the business; an underlying motive of every business. Therefore, I resent with passion man of feeble mind who shivers at the sound of share threat. A journalist is not a mere agent of transmission, transferring facts to print. A journalist is also a public servant who is bound by his integrity and trust.

I know it is hard to stay true to oneself in the face of poverty. Plus the recent millions of naira from Obasanjo’s camp said to have been assigned to the media for hush money; some are already rethinking their defiant stance.

However, Nigerian journalists have this to consider, too much work ahead about Nigeria’s deplorable condition to allow mere threat from ordinary Gbenga Obasanjo to shake up a news medium or lose an invaluable writer for that matter. How about going to jail or dying for what one believes in? Information is indispensable and only through journalism can we get true picture of things.