Ace broadcaster, Gbenga Aborowa has accused the Nigerian media of abandoning its constitutional responsibilities of holding government accountable to the people in favor of seeking patronage from the corridors of power.
Ace broadcaster, Gbenga Aborowa has accused the Nigerian media of abandoning its constitutional responsibilities of holding government accountable to the people in favor of seeking patronage from the corridors of power.
Gbenga, who was one of the panelists in the ongoing Social Media Week Lagos 2018, told SaharaReporters that instead of exposing their wrongdoings and corrupt practices, journalists now run after politicians demanding for cash.
He lamented that this has contributed to the high handedness and brazen manner politicians have been siphoning public funds.
He said, “The constitution has obviously spelt out the role of the media in a democracy and in every vibrant democracy, you are bound to have a vibrant media but in Nigeria, the media are not doing what they should be doing.
“They (media) are more of government patronage rather than putting the government in check. The model is not working and there is a lot more that the Nigeria media needs to do.”
Gbenga condemned the increasing penchant of Nigerian media to celebrate politicians with questionable characters and who have abandoned their duties while neglecting the average citizen who is striving to live a meaningful life by not engaging in illegal activities.
He noted for instance that every year, media houses organize awards for politicians and their ‘man of the year’ is not the teacher or somebody doing an excellent job, but a member of the political class who in the real sense, may not have anything that makes him the man of the year.
Speaking ahead of the 2019 general elections, Gbenga challenged the media to grant candidates equal amount of publicity on their platforms, while they should also do background checks on politicians who will be vying for various positions.
He expressed, “The media has to stay neutral, fact check, investigate and report every news concerning politicians in Nigeria. They should be more in-depth and ask critical questions.”
He also urged the media to spotlight activities of politicians through critical analysis and hold leaders accountable to their promises.