At the 60th World Newspaper Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, Nigerian newspaper executive Azubuike Ishiekwene was invited to speak at WAN Annual Press Freedom Roundtable entitled “Press Freedom in Africa: The Key to Good Governance and Development.” As the executive director of publications at Punch Nigeria Limited, Ishiekwene supervises the editors of the company’s three titles, including The Punch. With an average daily circulation of over 80,000 copies, The Punch continues to be Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper. Ishiekwene also oversees the Editorial Board, the Online Department, the Sales and Marketing Department, and the Press at Punch Nigeria Limited.
RAP 21 had the opportunity to interview Ishiekwene in Cape Town about the success of his media group, the unique structure of its advertising department, the integration of new technology, and ultimately the future of the newspaper industry in Africa.
RAP 21: The Punch is the most widely read and circulated newspaper in Nigeria today. What key strategies have allowed you to remain the market leader?
Ishiekwene: At The Punch we have always carefully followed changes in the market and reviewed our policies so as to respond to these changes. As you know, since 1999, Nigeria has moved from military to civilian rule. This had a major impact on the market, and the way that the market responded to newspapers. Apart from political factors, we have taken into account other market factors, such as the advent of the Internet and new technology companies entering the market in Nigeria. All of these things have impacted newspaper operations. One thing that we have tried to achieve over the years is to stay on top of these changes and to make maximum use of the innovations.
RAP 21 : How is the advertising department structured at The Punch?
Ishiekwene : The advertising department is structured differently from what you normally see at newspapers. Our advertising department is run by the editorial staff. Our experience has shown that combining the two departments creates a lot of synergy. Some people have expressed concern about what type of editorial independence you can have when the editor supervises the advertising department, but as an editor with The Punch for ten years, I disagree. The concern has come from those who are used to the traditional model and who cannot see how such a model would work. But what we are doing has obviously worked for us because the advertising revenue has grown steadily to a position where our advertising to circulation sales have grown to nearly 65:35. Figures like this show that we must be doing something right.
RAP 21: In 2004, you told RAP 21 that in three years, you wanted to be the leaders in the market, and that you would like to increase the percentage of product advertising by 35 to 40 percent. Have you reached this goal?
Ishiekwene : We are still the leader in the market in terms of copy sales. But in terms of advertising, no we have not been able to achieve this, despite significant achievements. Communication companies, banks, the privatization of media, and economic reforms have all been important sources of revenues. We have a good share of the market now, and far better than what we had three years ago.
RAP 21 : What steps are you taking now to continue increasing advertising revenues?
Ishiekwene : What we are doing right now to increase our product advertising and general share of the market is to identify precisely what areas we need to be more responsive to. Advertisers in Nigeria have said that they will set up an Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), which means that newspapers will be required to allow audits of their paid circulation. Newspapers that don’t subscribe to an ABC will be boycotted by advertisers. If advertisers stick to what they say they will do in the first part of 2008, there will be a shift in advertising patterns. We are quite happy and confortable with this idea because Punch is driving the process of newspapers becoming more transparent. I am confident that once the market becomes more transparent, we will see benefits for ourselves and other newspapers as well.
RAP 21 : The Punch newspaper appears online exactly as you see it in hard copy. What made you decided to do this?
Ishiekwene: Yes, we have an e-Edition that appears online exactly as it appears in print. Last year, and even before, we had running battles with advertisers who were resisting increases in advertising rates. So we thought that perhaps if we went online and provided the same kind of services and content, as well as the same advertisements, we would be able to leverage this.
RAP 21 : You mentioned that you are constantly trying to stay on top of new market trends. Have you incorporated any specific new technologies that have contributed to the success of The Punch?
Ishiekwene : Yes, we have indeed incorporated new technology. For example, we have began using space in the hard copy of The Punch to allow readers to send us news as they would like to read it via mobile phones. We have reduced the number of hard copy letters to the editor published in the paper and have encouraged our readers to send these as text messages. Because mobile phones are becoming highly popular in Nigeria, especially among the youth, we encourage people to become interactive with the newspaper using this technology. It has proven to be an extremely successful strategy.
RAP 21: During the WAN Press Freedom Round Table in Cape Town, you stated that if newspapers fail to play their role as a watchdog and fail to address the issues that affect our societies honestly, vigorously and responsibly, others who feel passionately about the issues will fill the vacuum. How have new media, such as the Internet, impacted the African press, and what do you see as the future of the newspaper?
Ishiekwene : There is nothing happening now that wasn’t happening in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s when radio and television challenged the traditional print media. What we realize is that we cannot wish away the Internet revolution. Newspapers are not dying, but we have to respond. There are all types of online sites now competing with us that offer all sorts of information. So to respond to this competition, we have in a way re-engineered the content of the newspaper so that we are telling you a little more than just what happened yesterday, and adding context.
There is also a particular segment of readers that now appears to be very reluctant to read traditional newspapers. These are young readers, and they remain a major challenge. Again, we have opened up space in the newspaper for this group to tell them not just what we think they need to learn about. Instead, we are inviting young readers to define what they want to read about and how they want to read it. It is also one of the reasons why at The Punch we started what is called MyNews.com, encouraging young readers to tell us how they want to see their news written. We need young readers because they are the readers of the future, and if we don’t have that, then the industry is in trouble. New media have given us challenges to keeping the newspaper alive, but by taking advantage of these new technologies, traditional newspapers and the press can be strengthened.