By Inyali Peter I’ve deliberately avoided commenting on this trending topic because everyone seems to believe they are experts in the field...
By Inyali Peter
I’ve deliberately avoided commenting on this trending topic because everyone seems to believe they are experts in the field of journalism. In fact, the only set of people that some Nigerians don’t expect to hold opinion about this are the trained professionals themselves.
Throughout my academic journey, from undergraduate to advanced degrees, I studied courses on interviewing techniques. However, none of my lecturers or the textbooks I read endorse the approach Rufai Oseni takes on air.
Some people fail to understand the difference between interrogation and interviewing in journalism. Journalists are trained to interview, not interrogate. An interview is a fact-finding process aimed at gathering information from authorities or sources presumed to have superior knowledge on a subject. While interrogation is a confrontational method used to extract confessional statements or admissions of guilt from a suspect.
Journalists conduct interviews, while law enforcement agencies or lawyers conduct interrogations, often using phrases like “I put it to you” to confront suspects and elicit confessions.
Some commentators are always quick in citing CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, and other Western media outlets as examples to justify Rufai’s conduct. But these journalists ask hard-hitting and tough questions without resorting to interrogation tactics. In journalism, politely provoking guests to elicit more facts or discuss topics they might prefer to avoid is acceptable. This is precisely what professionals in these outlets do, without conducting themselves as though they’re leading a criminal investigation, as Rufai often does.
A journalist is not trained to engage in banter, provocative actions, or mocking guests with condescending laughter, as Rufai frequently does during interviews. As the host of a show, a journalist has an obligation to make guests feel comfortable. While anchors are trained to maintain control, this does not mean approaching interviews with a closed mind or engaging in shouting matches when guests provide answers that differ from expectations.
But what do I know? Many of us who studied journalism are dismissed as uninformed or biased when we express views that don’t align with popular opinion on this issue. Ironically, many of those who support Rufai and seek to redefine journalism standards don’t want any questioning, however polite of themselves or causes they politically align with.
That said, I’ve come to realize that Arise TV likely conducted a thorough audience survey and is using Rufai as a marketing tool to attract viewership. My only concern is that this style risks damaging the revered fields of broadcasting and journalism.
-Inyali Peter, Ph.D.
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