Film Criticism and Film Journalism

Film Criticism and Film Journalism 

Anybody who can write and can study the Nigerian film industry can write on both Nollywood and Kannywood.

Don't mistake film journalism for film criticism.

Majority of those claiming to be film critics in Nigeria are either film journalists or commentators. 

You cannot be a film critic if you don't understand filmmaking. Because how can you do a critique of a subject you don't understand the concept, content and context?

You don't know about Lighting for Storytelling and you are a film critic?

You don't know how soundtracks are used in storytelling and you call yourself a film critic?

You don't know costume for storytelling and you call yourself a film critic?

What of histrionics in drama?

Should I go on?

You cannot be a good film critic if you don't know the history of filmmaking or motion picture.

Until reading what I have written now, 99 percent of the so called film critics in Nigeria don't know what is film noir.

In the study of fine arts, we study art history and criticism combined, because you cannot be a good art critic if you don't know art history.

There is widespread intellectual ignorance and posturing by those who claim to be film critics, but they don't even know that filmmaking is part of fine arts and film criticism is part of art history and criticism.

This must be news to them.

Can they discuss Abstract Art in Art History and Criticism with Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima?

Can they do a critique of my masterpiece, "The Metamorphosis of the HIV in the T-Cell" collected by Family Health International (FHI) or "The Eruption of the Love Virus" in private collection since 1993?

I don't even claim to be a film critic.

I am a film writer and historian on the history of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry widely published, circulated and studied by scholars and students in different colleges and universities in Nigeria and other countries.

Why? Because of the importance, relevance and significance in film studies, African studies, art history and criticism.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013.

Why we collect brown envelopes- Nigerian Journalist

Why we collect brown envelopes- Nigerian Journalist

We met one afternoon in the first week of February in a small restaurant on the third floor of the E- Centre in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos. He seemed like a happy go lucky young man as he sat over his plate of jollof rice and chicken whilst I regarded him amusingly. He was sitting beside a popular celebrity blogger and award winning style entrepreneur whom I have known since she was 17 when I was the Editor of an offbeat news magazine in the late 1990s.

“I will not collect anything less than N25, 000, to report and get a story published in our magazine, “he said matter-of-factly in-between mouthfuls of his food.
“I am against journalists collecting brown envelopes,” I said emphatically.
He shrugged at my uncompromising attitude whilst I smirked at his unethical decision.
“We collect brown envelopes, because we are not well paid,” he explained.
“Not all journalists in Nigeria collect brown envelopes,” I said.
He looked up at me and laughed.
“Look, even those who were not collecting brown envelopes before now do so,” he said.
He mentioned that one of the brown envelope rookies was a journalist from the new daily newspaper published by a seasoned Nigerian journalist who became famous after winning the highly coveted Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in America.
“Their reporters were acting holier than others before, but one of them later succumbed and collected a brown envelope through a proxy,” he revealed giving details how money exchanged hands. He said the reporter was financially constrained and had to collect the money to make ends meet.

To find a Nigerian journalist who has never collected a brown envelope would be like searching for a matchstick in a haystack. Collecting brown envelopes to report news stories is now an informal income to augment their salaries, from the green horns to the seasoned professionals in the newsroom.

Well known members of staff of the most popular private TV and fm radio stations are actively engaged in corrupt practices of asking artistes and other personalities lump sums of money before they interview or feature them on air.

The DJs and VJs in Nigeria extort and exploit Nigerian artistes and others to give them financial inducements to “promote” them. But they do not make returns of their so called “promotional fees” to the management of their employers.

One celebrated DJ at a Pidgin English fm radio station on Victoria Island demanded about N250000 from a Nigerian born hip-hop artiste from the US, but he was queried when his employer found out through a whistle blower in the entertainment industry. He was so scared that he called the artiste and begged for negotiation. His female colleague quickly played the song of the artiste without asking for any brown envelope. But others still collected over N125, 000. One of them boasted that a popular record label paid as much as N2 million for the constant rotation of their hip-hop artistes on radio and TV. And that is the secret of their success and not the noisy songs of their artistes who cannot even get a record deal in the US or the UK where the music recording companies have not collapsed.

These DJs and VJs do not care about the quality of the songs and will hype and play the songs constantly as long as the artistes give them fat brown envelopes. But once you fail to pamper them with cash and gifts they will drop your songs in the drawers until further notice. These corrupt Nigerians simply play whatever you give to them once you have bribed them generously.

In the US and most other places, radio stations do not pay performers for airplay, but they do not extort them in a mutual rapport. Presently, the administration of President Barack Obama is already supporting legislation to make radio stations pay royalties to performers when they play their music just like satellite radio, Internet radio and cable TV music channels pay fees to performers and songwriters.

Cash-for-news coverage is very common all over the world, but permitting the corrupt practice has compromised standards of professional journalism, because a reporter or news channel can be bribed to report even falsehood as I have noted in one of the largest circulating dailies in Nigeria where one of the entertainment editors is fond of cash-for-news coverage to report exaggerated stories or falsehood to promote artistes and their works.

There was a particular case of "cash-for-news coverage" that really shocked me.
Some news reporters asked for brown envelopes to report the 2010 World Malaria Day hosted by the Media Forum of the African Media & Malaria Research Network, AMMREN, in Lagos, Nigeria. An important event for the benefit of the public to save millions of lives was exploited by unscrupulous Nigerian journalists to extort money from the non-profit NGO. The coordinator gave each reporter more than N5,000. But they even failed to give a good report of the event.

"But everybody missed it because it's badly cobbled together. For example, names are badly mixed-up, etc. That's worse than no report, " the coordinator complained to me.

“Cash-for-news coverage is more common in regional and local media than in national media, particularly among district and local media correspondents in small towns. It goes by various street names depending on location, including: red envelope, brown envelope, soli, marmalade, tips, and sitting allowance, among others. Bribery acceptance is linked here to low pay for journalists. It is exemplified as a means of government control of media, undermining democratization. Media control includes the use of false accusation of taking bribes to suppress independent journalists,” said Bill Ristow in Cash for Coverage: Bribery of Journalists Around the World published on September 28, 2010.

You should also read "The Shame of Brown Envelope Journalism" by Peter G. Mwesige
published on Friday, 17 September 2010, by the African Centre for Media Excellence.

The following recommendations have been made to stop the corrupt practices of cash-for-news coverage by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) - National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

1. "International journalism organizations should:
o Take the initiative to support a summit on the topic of cash for news coverage, to include representatives of the public-relations industry and experts on how corporations deal with bribery.
o Issue regular reports documenting... this 'dark side' of the profession.
o Take the lead in documenting - and publicizing - the pay levels of journalists around the world...

2. Media-development organizations should:
o Sharpen their focus on ethics training...
o Support the creation and nurture of media accountability systems such as ombudsmen and other mechanisms to heighten transparency in how journalists do their work.

3. News media owners, managers, and editors should:
o Adopt, publicize, and then stick to a firm policy of zero tolerance...
o Review pay policies...
o Take the initiative in creating accountability systems on their own, such as appointing an ombudsman...

4. Public relations professionals and their organizations should:
o Not wait for the journalists to suggest a summit. They can suggest it themselves...
o Encourage their members to practice zero tolerance...

5. NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and corporations should:
o Just say no.... adopt a firm rule against paying, put it in writing and make it public, and stick to it in all cases."


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Workshop on Safety and Protection of African Journalists

1 Sep 2010 19:42 Africa/Lagos

Workshop on safety and protection of African journalists


ADDIS ABABA, September 1, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Invitation to representatives of the media

Theme: “Peace and Security for African Journalists!!!”

WHEN: 2 – 3 September 2010

WHERE: Headquarters of the African Union Commission. Conference Center, Committee Room 2

WHO: The Division of Communication and Information (DCI) of the African Union Commission, in collaboration with the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ).

WHY: The Year of Peace and Security offers an unprecedented opportunity for the African Union Commission and the Federation of African Journalists to celebrate some accomplishments in partnership with the international community, and review current efforts to peace building on the continent, with a view to strengthening and, where appropriate, launching


new initiatives for peace and security. Such a goal cannot be reached if freedom of expression and a free media, key conditions for good democratic governance, are not able to flourish and journalists cannot work in a safe and secure environment. Thus, the need to join force in organizing this workshop on the safety and protection of African Journalists.


Objectives:


African journalists need the establishment of enduring and effective


safety standards throughout the continent so they can do their legitimate and much-needed work to keep citizens informed.


Safety training and protective equipment have in a few instances been


provided to journalists but they are not enough to guarantee their safety. In the end it will be up to the political will of African leaders


to spell out the measures necessary to help protect journalists.


Policies must be developed and implemented to minimise the risks


faced by journalists. Such measures will send a powerful message of support and solidarity for the newsmen and women who are committed to tell the story of Africa to the Africans and to the rest of the world.

Expected Outcome:

The draft resolution resulting from this workshop is expected to set out extensive policies that will impel member states, their legislative institutions and law enforcement agencies to deal with issues of protection of journalists and impunity.


Participants: The workshop will bring together:


Over 35 unions and associations of journalists across Africa;


Politicians;


Diplomatic Corps;


African Union officials;


Officials from the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) ;


Officials from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ);


Journalists leaders in Africa


International and regional lawyers;


Advocacy groups and Safety experts amongst others.

Outline of the Draft Agenda:

Promoting the Safety of Journalists and Overview of Media Security in Africa: General Trends and Main Challenges:


The Risks of Death , Real and Serious: The Case of Somali Journalists


Deadly Trap of Investigative Journalism: Crimes against Journalists in Nigeria


Silence over Crimes and End of Press Freedom: The case of DR Congo


Precarious Working Conditions of North African Journalists


Legal Prospective: Who has responsibility to protect journalists and Why?


Women Reporting Wars – The Challenges


Key role of the African Union in protecting journalists' safety: Identify basis for action and draw up a plan


Measures to uphold the safety and protection of journalists in Africa


Impunity: Source of Insecurity and Continuous Danger



Background:


In Africa, the world's second largest and second most populous continent, journalists take great personal and professional risks to collect process and disseminate news and information to over 1 billion African citizens in 54 states. But sadly, being a journalist today in many places can often be a deadly pursuit, particularly for those covering conflict and other dangerous assignments. Conflict areas and post-conflict areas in Africa are predominantly dangerous environments for journalists.


The African Heads of States and Governments took the decision to declare 2010 the Year of Peace and Security in Africa, proclaiming in paragraph 9 of the Tripoli Declaration that: “We are determined to deal once and for all with the scourge of conflicts and violence on our continent, acknowledging our shortcomings and errors, committing our resources and our best people, and missing no opportunity to push forward the agenda of conflict prevention, peacemaking,


peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction. We, as leaders, simply cannot bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next generation of Africans”.


On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May this year, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Jean Ping, condemned “all violations of the right to freedom of expression”. “During this year,” he said “our common goal is to make every effort to ensure that weapons are silent, crises are resolved and tensions subside, so that all African nations can peacefully continue continental integration and stand proudly amongst all nations. The press must be able to fully participate in this project by generating and conveying information, to freely play its role in sharing knowledge and in promoting a culture of peace. On this highly symbolic day, I also call upon all the actors of the media to join the African Union so that together we make peace happen in Africa. It is not an option for Africa but a necessity. Peace and security are sine qua non conditions for the development of the media industry and the effective promotion of freedom of expression.”


The Year of Peace and Security offers an unprecedented opportunity for African governments, citizens and institutions, in partnership with the international community, to celebrate our accomplishments and to review current efforts to peace building on the continent, with a view to strengthening these and, where appropriate, launching new initiatives for peace and security.


Journalists in Africa and associated media personnel like camera crew have been increasingly involved in covering news in so-called “hot spots” in war zones or hostile environments as conflicts flared up in countries like Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mushrooming of news media organisations meant that increasing number of young people joining the profession without the necessary training on security awareness. At the same time, the technological advances allowed media houses to greatly increase the number of journalists covering conflicts while intensifying the competitive pressures that can force them to take unjustifiable risks. Camera crews and photographers take the biggest risks in conflict areas as they need to be up close to the action. Reporters are often at the sharp end in the battlefields because they want to get information from areas where others fear to tread. Some journalists started to believe that if there is no war, there is no news to report.


The working conditions of journalists are in the most cases inadequate. Journalists working in Africa, as fulltime, and as a freelance, are overall poorly remunerated. They do not enjoy health and safety protection and rarely are covered by insurance. They are not even provided with the necessary equipment to help them protect themselves in conflicts or civilian unrests. Most media houses are not financially stable or strong, and those who have the financial capacity to take safety measures do not want to invest in the safety of journalists.


The African Union Commission, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the pan-African regional organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which is the global body of journalists representing 600,000 journalists worldwide, has been extremely concerned about the safety of journalists in Africa. Increased insisting that governments as well as media organisations which employ them should take steps to reduce the risks journalists face by protecting them and by ensuring that journalists have all the protective measures they might need.


The Federation of African Journalists and the African Union Commission have joined forces to organise this Regional Workshop on the Safety and Protection of African Journalists which concurs with the objectives associated with the Year of Peace and Security. The Workshop will bring together African journalists, AU politicians and officials, and civil society partners to discuss issues of protection of journalists and impunity. At the heart of these discussion will be the drafting of a resolution, similar to UN Security Council Resolution 1738, which will recognise the protection of journalists based on international law, various UN charters and AU constitutive act and resolutions/policies, Geneva conventions and additional protocols and will put the onus on member states to be responsible for putting an end to intentional attacks against journalists and media professionals, to comply fully with its obligations under international law and to respect their professional independence.


The continental congress of FAJ bringing together representatives of all the African journalists meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, in March 2010, adopted a powerful resolution on safety and security of African journalists. The World Congress of the IFJ in May 2010 in Spain also unanimously voted for strong support of and solidarity with African journalists. The protection of journalists engaged in dangerous assignments in armed conflict is a major concern for the international community and a key obstacle for achieving the full implementation of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.


Obligations of governments related to the protection of journalists in armed conflict are mostly enshrined in international humanitarian law. The Third Geneva Convention, in its article 4(A) (4) states that persons who accompany the armed forces without actually being members thereof, such as war correspondents, provided that they have received authorisation, from the armed forces which they accompany, benefit from the prisoner-of-war status.


On 23 December 2006, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1738 calling on Governments to protect journalists in armed conflict situations. The Security Council expressed its deep concern at the frequency of acts of violence in many parts of the world against journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in armed conflict, in particular deliberate attacks in violation of international humanitarian law. It condemned intentional attacks against journalists, media professionals and associated personnel, as such, in situations of armed conflict, and calls upon all parties to put an end to such practices. The Security Council demanded that all parties to an armed conflict must comply with their obligations under international law to protect civilians in armed conflict. States and all other parties to an armed conflict were urged to do their utmost to prevent violations of international humanitarian law against civilians, including journalists, media professionals and associated personnel. It also emphasised the responsibility of States in that regard, as well as their obligation to end impunity and to prosecute those responsible for serious violations. UNESCO has a specific mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. In this context, UNESCO has dedicated part of its work to the issue of protection of journalists, in armed conflicts in particular, and has taken various initiatives in that respect.


The Federation of African Journalists and the African Union Commission, in alliance with civil organisations, will endeavour to make the safety and security of African journalists a special feature of The Year of Peace and Security.


CONTACT PERSONS:

Mrs. Habiba Mejri-Cheikh
Spokesperson,
Head, Division of Communication and Information (DCI)
African Union Commission
Tel. Off. (+251) 11 551 7700 Ext. 236
Email: HabibaM@africa-union.org / Mejri-cheikh.habiba@hotmail.com


Mr. Omar Faruk Osman
President, Federation of African Journalists (FAJ)
Tel. +251921322802 / +253 869230
Email: omar@nusoj.org / faruk129@gmail.com


Skype: omarfaruk10


Source: African Union Commission (AUC)

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