US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1471

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001471 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
BBG/NI STEWART 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/PD AMIRTHANAYAGAM 
LAGOS FOR PAS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, KPAO, SCUL, NI, BBG 
SUBJECT: JOURNALISM TRAINER SAM SWAN BREAKS 
GOVERNMENT MEDIA SELF-CENSORSHIP BARRIER IN 
NORTHERN NIGERIA 
 
Ref: State 200374 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: Recent news reports broadcast on 
government- 
owned radio and TV channels in northern Nigeria 
have shown a major shift in their focus from 
personalities in government to community-based 
issues thanks to the wealth of practical 
journalistic and academic experience of U.S. 
media trainer and University of Tennessee 
broadcasting professor, Dr. Sam 
Swan.  Dr. Swan 
teaching in two VOA-sponsored workshops in Bauchi 
(August 5-6) and Kano (August 7-8) has helped lay 
the foundation for more professional and balanced 
reporting.  The result is the positive focus now 
beamed on the successful efforts of the USAID in 
partnership with Nigerian communities to resolve 
the problems with HIV/AIDS prevention, resistance 
to polio immunization, child survival and other 
health issues, education, agriculture and 
conflict resolution.  These were issues that the 
workshop participants themselves identified as 
most important to the community and key to the 
survival of Nigeria  democracy.   ee the big 
picture but tell the small story, as Dr. Swan 
advice now shaping a new 
kind of journalism in 
northern Nigeria.  End Summary. 
 
 
2.  DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: Public Affairs 
Abuja, working with BBG  Sandra Stewart and 
Professor Sam Swan of the Department of 
Broadcasting, University of Tennessee organized 
two separate, two-day  ommunity-based reporting 
workshops in Bauchi August 5-6 and Kano August 7- 
8.  CPAO Claudia Anyaso kicked off each workshop 
urging participants to open their minds to new 
ideas.  As a result, 40 reporters, mostly from 
government-owned media organizations, including 3 
community-based newspapers, received basic 
broadcast reporting training, which most 
participants described as  he most vital tool 
acquired in their career in years.  Former 
Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation 
of Nigeria, Yaya Abubakar, was the Nigerian 
facilitator for the Bauchi workshop, while 
Professor Abdulrahman Adam, Chair of the 
Department of Mass Communication at the Bayero 
University played a similar role in Kano.  Both 
Nigerian experts spoke of the need for the 
Nigerian media to focus their reports on 
community interests.  At the end of the training 
at each venue, the participants themselves, under 
the supervision of Professor Sam Swan, prepared 
and went away with a checklist of prioritized 
topics of community issues they would like to 
report on.  They were also issued certificates. 
 
 
3.  JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVE: Nigeria may have 
the most vibrant press in Africa, a press that 
endured decades of military dictatorships and 
helped to pave the way for the transition to 
democracy, but self-censorship and heavy 
government control of the broadcast media limits 
their focus.  Reporting basically focuses on 
personalities and pro-government stories. 
Stories are short on facts and long on 
sensationalism, especially in the north. 
Journalists lack in-depth reporting and 
interviewing skills.  They do not have a clear 
understanding of the role of the press in 
ensuring responsible governance.  Although these 
broadcast organizations are theoretically owned 
and financed by the public, the communities have 
no access to them. These workshops were intended 
to provide skills and attitudes that will help 
the press fulfill its role to the community. 
 
 
4. MPP UMBRELLA THEME AND AUDIENCE REACHED: NI- 
PD-01 strengthening democracy.  Audience was a 
targeted group of 40 journalists drawn from 
mostly government-owned broadcast stations 
located in 19 northern Nigerian states. 
 
 
5. USG SUPPORT: Excellent. Thanks to the superb 
work by Sandra Stewart, Abuja would welcome an 
opportunity to program Dr. Swan again in the 
future.  He is an excellent and talented 
broadcast teacher.  Dr. Swan was well-prepared, 
using helpful power point tips to create the best 
effect in honing the skills of even the most 
skeptical of his 40 students.  Through his style 
of teaching, he was able to challenge the 
journalists to go beyond press conferences and 
meetings to search for news reports that affect 
real people.  He encouraged them to be 
enterprising reporters, and taught them how to 
develop story ideas.  Most importantly, he taught 
them to be professional, balanced, and to reflect 
on issues at all levels of society, and not just 
government. 
 
 
6. RESULT/IMPACT: Very good. Public Affairs Abuja 
has seen some evidence of practical application 
of Dr. Swan  lessons in the reports done 
recently by some of the participants on 
USAID/Nigeria success stories on Polio and 
Education. Two news managers in Kano (City 
Television) and Jos (Plateau Radio and 
Television) have told PAS Abuja that they believe 
the workshop has improved the skills of their 
staff who participated in the program, and would 
want them to share their knowledge with their 
colleagues at work.  PAS Abuja would like to 
recommend to the VOA a three-week U.S.-side 
follow-on training for 10 selected participants 
to further enhance their skills. 
 
 
ROBERTS