“Of the 20 minutes or thereabout Olayinka was given, he only used 3 minutes to market the unprecedented achievements of his boss in the FCT. The rest was lost in shameful cantankerous exchanges. In rage, he lost the finesse of grammar”.
BY NGIGE NWACHUKWU
The major focus of an interviewer always is to uncover the truth from the interviewee so as to grant insight to the general public. Therefore, the approach Rufai Oseni adopted while hosting Lanre Olayinka earlier today on Arise TV is not off the mark irrespective of the semantics of professional jargons.
There is absolutely nothing inappropriate in the deployment of the clause “I put it to you.” Judicial reporters are also familiar with such. The difference is the tone, besides the forcefulness in his choice of that legal jargon. “Style is the man,” Professor Sylvanus Ekwelie used to admonish us at the Jackson Institute of Mass Communication, UNN in the early 90s.
Reporters choose different effective ways to elicit information from their subjects. Subtle intimidation is a legitimate journalistic tool. The other way round is no no. Prof Tony Iredia was good at this while he anchored one-on-one on NTA decades ago.
Lanre came prepared for a brawl. He came fully charged, gloves off! Will Rufai stand akimbo as the prime anchor and allow his guest hijack the programme? Ironically, the man who has a certificate in journalism pushing to one-up his supposed foe with a degree in Animal Science, is the one that lost it all, composure inclusive.
Strategic patience is the best tool for a media personality managing a fiery man like Wike. His media manager must be adept in playing the long game so that when he lands, he will not only win the game, he will also win the hearts. The Minister and his Media Adviser can’t be smoking or spitting fire at the same time! Of the 20 minutes or thereabout Olayinka was given, he only used 3 minutes to market the unprecedented achievements of his boss in the FCT. The rest was lost in shameful cantankerous exchanges. In rage, he lost the finesse of grammar, yet a ‘well trained’ journalist! For over 30 years on this turf, I’m taught by experience that a better media manager is the one who overwhelms his audience with compelling narratives and facts and not the one that takes to tantrums!
Wike has taken the FCT to a level hitherto thought impossible. And this is what Nigerians are more interested in. Abuja residents see Wike on the streets and hail him. This is my 25th year in the FCT and no Minister of the FCT has earned such a popular acclaim. Lenre Olayinka lost the goodwill and opportunity to frontload this to his combative style. Right of reply in journalism is not a boxing rematch.
…Ngige Nwachuchu, a trained journalists and a political analyst based in Abuja
