A Reporter and His Beat

This book provides a comprehensive insight of a reporter on the beat in Africa's greatest country, Nigeria. Apart from surveying the trends and dynamics of journalism training and practice, media ecologies, ethos and traditions over time, it also reflects the sociology of the Nigerian media. In it, Yinka Fabowale, one of Nigeria's most accomplished and award- winning journalists, vividly paints the picture of the diverse experiences and challenges the African journalist faces as he rises from the level of a rookie to the zenith of his career.

From detailed accounts of his rigorous but very rewarding practical apprenticeship under some hardcore, no-nonsense professionals; the daily risks and thrills of being a journalist, the dangers of cooptation, compromise and corruption and lessons he learnt from both highly and lowly placed news sources and the events he covered spanning different eras of military and democratic regimes, the author points out the similarity and disparity between theory and practice and offers unique and realistic lessons to reporters, journalists and scholars.

It also mirrors developments and stagnation at diverse levels of analysis of the state of Nigerian journalism and the society - from the personal to the sectoral to the regional and national. It relives the realities regarding journalism education, professionalism, ethics, gate-keeping functions and watch-dog mandate of the press, in addition to policy misses by government as well as dysfunctional politics among other factors hindering national development, and thereby holds up a mirror for the nation's Fourth Estate and society's self-assessment and the need to refocus on ideals.

This makes the book an invaluable practical tool and resource material for policy makers, practitioners and students of communication and media studies, sociology, history, political science and any reader interested in the wide range of subjects it covers.

The book's uniqueness lies in its excellent narrative and creative approach to teaching journalism. The chapters are short but focus intensely on the subject, just as the themes overlap and inter-relate. The content is rendered in simple, lucid and light-hearted language, laced with humour and wit that makes it reader -friendly.