by Anicet L. Quenum, Benin, April 1997
THEME = MEDIA
African governments are not in the habit of dishing out financial aid to the private Press. But with the arrival of democracy, some countries like Burkina Faso and Mali have lead the way in this matter. Benin was one of the first African countries to embark along the road to democracy and it's within this context that the special grant was made. Benin's government wanted to do something practical to help the Press but didn't know how to go about it. At least, not until December 1996 when a Parliamentary debate on the subject took place, and it emerged that a special grant-in-aid for the private Press was earmarked in the 1997 Budget.
Twenty or so varying publications stand to benefit from the share-out of some 300 million CFA Francs (FF 3 million). When the good news was announced, jubilation was in the air. Hard-pressed editors of the private Press were delighted that at long last the government was finally granting one of their long-standing requests.
During the last seven years, the private Press has been growing and growing, with increasing cut-throat competition between the different publications. However, there are limits to the number of people who are going to buy reading material. With the wide choice of newspapers and magazines "on the streets", readership per publication is decreasing - with consequent financial headaches for proprietors, managers and editors.
So what did proprietors do? Much against their principles, they went cap-in-hand to the government and asked for financial help. "After all", they said, "the Press is an essential agent of democracy".
Unfortunately, they forgot that behind the outstretched hand of the receiver, is the hand of the donor! Will the State be able to resist the temptation of exerting pressure on the Press it has favoured? And will the private Press dare to show itself "ungrateful" to its benefactor i.e. the State? Only time will tell.
After due consideration of the risks involved in accepting the government hand-out, Benin's Union of Journalists In The Private Press (UJPB), came out against newspaper and magazine proprietors accepting direct financial help. "But", said the Union, "if indirect help can be provided for training journalists, distributing newspapers, establishing a central newsprint buying agency, - then, all well and good. This is good for the trade and in the long run, will be good for our profession".
Newspaper proprietors, on the other hand, are not too interested in these ideas. They want hard cash! They took the occasion of an "In-House Day" for the publishing business, to make it clear to their employees i.e. journalists, that they had no right to dictate how the 300 million CFA Franc package deal should be used. Since the proprietors own the publications, one can appreciate that their immediate interests lie elsewhere than training journalists. (The UJPB wants to dedicate 75% of the State grant for this purpose).
From the above, it's clear there is a problem. Everyone is initially concerned with his/her personal interests. Journalists need to be trained, but at the same time, the bosses need hard cash! There must be some meeting-point of converging interests, and this, as soon as possible.
The Department for Audiovisuals and Communications (HAAC) will have to step in and arbitrate on the issue. Obviously a distinction will have to be made between those publications which regularly appear on the streets, and those which are published "now and then". Also, the HAAC will have to determine between those who are real professionals in the publishing business and those who are out to make a quick profit.
Everyone concerned with the well-being of Benin's Press will have to keep a close scrutiny on what is happening. They need to check that what is supposed to be helping the Press doesn't harm its cohesion and well-being.
END