The Journey 3 - My Name Is More Than A Byline. It Is My Signature.

I did say this year was about the journey. Everyday, I am learning new things: the good, the bad and the ugly. And in the world of journalism, I have learnt, people can really screw things up but you must never take it personally. Some people... their job is for you to make them look good but you must realise... you are a voice and not a noise maker. You must learn to raise your head and speak up. I don't care if you have an accent or not, don't ever let anyone make you get to the point where you can no longer speak. Even when they say or do things you don't appreciate, you don't need to raise your voice. All you need do is let them know, I appreciate what you have said but there is where I stand.

I remember getting the commission, doing the research. It was so much fun. I loved a very minute of minute. With every interview, my adrenalin was pumping because I was so close to getting this feature piece that seemed impossible yesterday. I had been connected to the key players.

Most of them based in the US, and as you know our time difference is huge. For three days in a row I had to stay back at work in order to get my interviews. I loved the process without a doubt.

It was great. This is why I studied to be a journalist, went on work experience and wrote for free just to build my portfolio. I was finally doing what my A’ levels teacher had said was not my reality.

You see, I was born in Nigeria, came to the UK at the age of 16 and believe me… I had and still have my Nigerian accent. Back then, it was thick. Let me tell you the part that I love the most. I am a very proud Benin Girl, I am Nigerian and I don’t care about the ideas or theories anyone has about Nigerians. Maybe this teacher thought…she is an African girl, with an accent and wants to be a writer. So, when I wrote the essay of what I wanted to do with my life... to become a writer. Her feedback on my essay paper was, ‘Is This Realistic?’

I wish she could see me now because she was wrong. I am writer and very soon you will hear from me Miss T. I am proud of my heritage and if you can’t deal with it, please take your leave and keep stepping. I can do all bad by myself.

Back to this feature... it was a piece about Nollywood. The brief was to examine the impact of Nollywod on the West African film industry. It was for an international magazine, owned by a brand name, one that prides itself on accuracy among many other virtues. And those virtues are still at the core of the brand.

So, I wrote the feature...one of the best I have ever written to be honest and I totally enjoyed it. I wrote it in less than 3 hours. Only to be screwed over. But I am not going to let it get to me.

It was decided by the team to add a line about an actress, a so called Nollywood actress who only flaunts her assets...breasts to be precise. Reason is that she embodies the brash and in your face and powerful part of Nollywood. Bulls**t.! A line I didn’t write someone I didn’t interview but that one line and image comes in and takes over the work. I made it known that she silenced everyone else. My piont was srictly on the grounds of editorial intergrity and value. Nothing else.

Besides, she is not a big figure in Nollywood and rarely gets roles these days. The best she has managed so far is a role in a music video. That for me and the decision to use her image totally overshadowed and silenced the voice of everyone else I interviewed. And to think that these people know their craft and she is famous for her breast, editorially, it defeats the purpose for which I was commissioned to do it. I stated my case that I was not comfortable with the image. To me, it took the whole feature. Besides… editorially, I had rather have respect than create sensation with a woman’s twin girls on display.

I spoke to my mentor, who happens to be a senior editor at work and her exact words were stick to your guns when I explained why I was not happy with what had been done.
So, a few emails went back and forth...finally a meeting. It was a funny meeting because I had three of them and just one of me. Told them I was not happy or comfortable with the image and the line based on the reason I stated above. It overshadows and silences all my interviewees. To me, it also defeats the brief and purpose of the feature. So, we danced around the matter...I was even asked if it degraded me and why I didn’t want to be associated with the actress. I have to say I didn’t find the image offensive. However, using an image like that says a lot about what you think of your audience. I remember saying it is not about it degrading me. It is my editorial integrity and value that matters to me and this is my work. If this was part of the brief from day one, then I have nothing to complain about.

I must say I understand what they wanted to achieve...create a good splash that would get huge responses. That’s what magazines want right? We all know that but there are different ways of doing that. And when it is another person’s work that a lot of their time and effort has gone into, you don’t have the right to do that as far as I am concerned. Not being naïve, I also know there are editors who do it. It is a tough world where people use their power to rub others but such is life. I must also state, not all magazines do this. So please, keep buying your mags...some of them have great content.

The meeting was a dance around and at one point, the editor asked, what if I decide to take your name off it and put our names? Maybe he thought that would scare me and make afraid and say okay. But you see, I am not an impressionable 25yr old nor am I some 28yr old who has no knowledge of herself. So, I told him to go ahead and do that. The others then said that would be unfair. One of them also said I had double standards because I didn’t have an issue with the picture of a man with a gun in the same feature.

For the record, guns are part of the culture in Nollywood and all over. You see it on the site of this well known news organisation but a woman with her knockers; you can count the number you will ever come across on the same site. And in Nollywood, it is frowned upon. I know of actresses who have been told off for dressing in certain manner. However, that’s not what this is about. It is about my work, my time and something I am not comfortable with. It is also a tough world.

So, double standards, we all have them was my response to him. That ought to have shut him up. We take different views to different things…after all one man’s meat is another man’s poison. That man with a gun didn’t take over my work.

To round this off, I went off and thought about it. Contacted my mentor again because I am sure that would have resulted in another meeting but in life, you have to learn to stand on your own and make life work for you.

So, I sent them an email, take my name off it. The content of my email was that I was very happy with the process of getting the feature to them and would do it again. But to avoid defeating what they wanted to achieve, take my name off it.
It made the process easy for the editor because he can hold his hand up and say she decided...but remember he also said to me, what if I decide to take your name off it and put ours on it? It was already decided. Nothing I said was going to change it as it was made clear. 'We are editors, we have to broaden a feature to make it...' oh hell yes, broaden they did.

Sounds like a bad decision to take my name off it but a journalist has the right to say take my name off something you are not comfortable with. It was a good experience. Learnt a good lesson, my name is my signature and I have a write to decide what it goes on and does not associate with.

I always thought it was the job of the Sun and Daily Mirror newspapers with the famous page 3 to show scantily clad women in order to achieve its aim. I didn’t know a magazine under the brand name of the (B**-We are smart people, we can figure this out) needed that also and had to resort to showing a woman with her knockers drooping down to achieve it. It was an interesting discovery.

A good experience for the future I must say. Who knows what’s around the corner?

Finally, "What you are willing to walk away from determines...(one of my favourtite quotes in the world)

My name is more than a byline. It is my signature.