“The collection is useful for its historicity and its freshness and for the ideas contained therein. More importantly, it is a journalist’s documentation of his interventions in the public arena. In the second section of the book, Lanre Idowu focuses at great length on the media with an instructive emphasis on such issues as ethics and the responsibility of the media, standards and values, and professionalism, with so much history about media practice and the personalities involved which should interest both the young and the older generations. Students of media sociology and history will find enlightening, Idowu’s commentaries on some of the icons of the media profession: Babatunde Jose, Alade Odunewu, Tunji Oseni, Uncle Sam, Yinka Craig and on such issues as “The Shape of News”, “The Media and Public Morality”, “On Pen Names” and “Covering or Covering Up Corruption.” The same can be said for his “The Media, Democracy and Good Governance” and “Democracy, Press Freedom and Media Credibility”, two extended commentaries in which he revisits the main thematic indications of the book’s sub-title. The Popular is Seldom Correct is a good advertisement for the value of the freedom of expression and an engaging commentary on the Nigerian media and the environment of its operation. It confronts us with how so much still needs to be done regarding values, attitudes and leadership in Nigerian media and society. It is recommended for general reading and for the attention of students of the Nigerian mass media”. —Reuben Abati, PhD, former Editorial Board chairman of The Guardian 

Contents: Governance: Immorality of Capital Punishment/A man of many parts/Causalities of Decree 4/A man of courage/Assault on Nightlife/Questions, Questions/Nobody’s fool/The Popular is Seldom Correct/Right or righteous?/The Politics of Awo/That We May Not War Again/A Time to Ponder/The Piper and His Tunes/Tale of Two Hilly Cities/Obasanjo’s Challenge/Am Unfair Deal/In Search of Meaning/Victims All/Death at the Airport/Serenity in flight/This Man, Abacha/The Taciturn General/Adieu Pillar of Concord/Taming the Okada Menace/What’s yo9ur hostage value?/The President’s Independence Address/That Lagos may excel/Descent into death/Media: In The Beginning…/The Media and the War against Drug Abuse/Finding Its Voice/What Coup?/Troubled Times/Reporting a political murder/Saving the Troubled Times/A celebration and a thanksgiving/That Ban on Beat Associations/Reporting Nutrition/Between September 11 and October 19/Tribute to Tunji Oseni at 60/The Shape of News/Happy Birthday, Uncle Sam/Celebrating Enterprise and Achievement/’There can never be too many media awards’/Jose @ 80/Remembering Tunji Oseni/The Media in the New Year/The Media and Public Morality/The Place of the book/Partnership is the key/Politics is the main staple/On Pen Names/Alade Odunewu at 60/Covering or covering Up Corruption/The Passage of Babatunde Jose/Farewell Yinka Craig/Democracy: The Media, Democracy and Good Governance/Democracy, Press Freedom and Media Credibility/Service: No Merry-Go-Round/Abudu: Truly an accomplished Nigerian/Index.