It was with a bleeding heart that one watched huge loads of unsold newspapers being wheeled away for recycling purposes, a few months ago. Statistics of unsold newspaper since 2007 nationwide became so alarming that a joint team of mass communications students were commissioned to carry out a research on the phenomenon.
A major factor identified as accounting for the decline in readership of newspapers in Nigeria was the growth of internet culture. More and more people would read news and events online rather than buy newspapers from vendors.
Decline in reading culture is not confined to readership of newspapers alone, but the phenomenon is widespread and common among different classes of people. Students in tertiary institutions would ask for ‘areas of concentration” rather than read wide and extensively to consolidate and expand knowledge. It is a great burden to read books, especially fat books, but it would be a great fun to engage in frolicsome activities and internet-browsing for several hours.
If the “browsing culture” would entail worthwhile issues and projects, then there would be no cause for concern, but unfortunately, what young men and women dig out from the internet can be quite worrisome.
Even the elite who should be role models for the youths are not free from the aversion to reading. It is as if the electronic culture is a contributing factor in the decline of a reading culture. But there can be no substitute to reading books of qualitative values as a means of expanding human consciousness.
The old axiom that “rewarding maketh a man” appears to be no longer a valid philosophy. Although electronic browsing culture is a form of reading and learning process; yet, the difference is that what you absorb through the eyes is not of the same quality as that which is brewed and processed in the brain. Book reading involves a great deal of concentration of attention, while electronic browsing goes along with emotional excitement.
With respect to the decline in newspaper readership, there are a number of issues which dampen readers’ enthusiasm towards some newspapers, apart from the on-line option. Any newspaper noted for frequent spelling and grammatical errors would obviously lose substantial readership. Even freelance writers who contribute on voluntary basis in their desire to enlighten the public, would shun writing for newspapers that mess up or distort their articles. Apart from shoddy proof-reading and editing of materials, a newspaper would attract a wider readership if the print is sharp and clear.
Studies in the behaviour and attitude of Nigerian readers towards various newspapers indicate that political partisanship and religious proselytization are strong factors which diminish readership. Nigerian readers would be more enthusiastic towards sports and humorous cartoons than they would be to glowing praises and pictures of politicians whom they often regard as unavoidable nuisance.
The newspaper industry is a highly competitive business whose survival does not depend solely on the number of copies printed out each day. Different forms of advertisements are major income earners for newspapers and therefore, the more popular that a newspaper is, in the eyes of the public, the more patronage it would get from advertising public and organisations.
The Press world is usually associated with the common cliché of informing, educating, entertaining and transforming. News items constitute the sources of informing the public on current issues, but news is not synonymous with political shenanigans. Through editorials, features and opinion articles, the public can be educated on a wide range of issues of current and long-lasting values and interests. Cartoons and other humorous and clever satire can provide some fun and entertainment for readers.
A media organisation can take on the task of public enlightenment and orientation specifically for the purpose of encouraging certain values in the society, such as the promotion of reading culture among various classes of people. This demands that media houses, both print and electronic ones, should have some research units that would develop a programme of monitoring and interacting with consumers of their services.
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer, Rivers State University.

Bright Amirize