As the race towards the 2011 presidential election gathers momentum, Saharareporters can reveal authoritatively that the management of PUNCH newspapers, one of Nigeria’s biggest dailies, has sternly warned its reporters against filing any reports critical of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Several sources in the company told SaharaReporters that the paper’s editor, Joseph Adeyeye, had issued instructions to reporters directing them to seek his permission before publishing any negative story on Jonathan and his campaign. Our sources said they believed Adeyeye was acting on orders from Chairman Ajibola Ogunshola.
Adeyeye followed his verbal directive to reporters with text messages two days ago. “All critical articles on President Jonathan must be cleared by the editor before use,” the editor wrote to the reporters via his mobile phone number 0807.760.0103.
The message continued: “However, this doesn't mean that reporters should censor themselves or refrain from filing Jonathan-related stories. They should file stories, leave the decision on usage to their superiors and the final decision to the ETP (Editor, The PUNCH).”
Saharareporters has learned that Adeyeye had earlier informed reporters based in Abuja through Bureau Chief Chiawo Nwankwo that the newspaper’s management had taken a decision to support Jonathan in his reelection bid and that reports should be skewed in his favor. The bulk of the paper’s political stories are filed from the nation’s capital.
Under the arrangement now in place at the newspaper, the editor of SUNDAY PUNCH, Casmir Igbokwe, as well as his SATURDAY PUNCH counterpart, Ebenezer Obadare, are to routinely seek clarification from Adeyeye when in doubt regarding the kind of story to publish about Jonathan.
One of our sources lamented that the paper’s editors had in the last few days killed numerous stories critical of Mr. Jonathan. In addition, the editors have made moves to cage fiercely independent or radically minded reporters.
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