‘Watching the Watchdogs: Media Review at 20’ is a rich feast of ideas and reflection on the Nigerian media as canvassed on the pages of Media Review between 1991 and 2011. From the challenges of reporting to the ethical dilemma of working in a compromised setting, the book presents the Nigerian media in its nakedness and glory like no other book or institution has done. Subject heads include Assault on press freedom, challenges of reporting, press history, press regulation, media law and ethics, information and reputation management, publishing economics, language and advertising. Interviews, book reviews and roundtable discourses complete the book’s rich literary harvest. The 431-page book will do well in the hands of media professionals, scholars, policy formulators, and discerning individuals who are interested in understanding the dynamics of the Nigerian media as an institution, industry and calling in search of defining identity. 

Contents:  Assault on Press Freedom/‘Operation’ Clampdown/The Siege this time./They won’t let up/Press Council’s stand on Assault to the Press /Another journalist killed/Death of a journalist/Challenges of Reporting/On June 12 we write/Press Coverage of Presidential Candidates /The Editors’ defence/Ethnicity, religion colour press reports/ The Media Trial of Tafa Balogun /Obama: Story of the Year 2008/The Press on the Ekiti re-run /Babangida’s Midnight Press Chat /IBB, Sahara Reporters, and the Press/press history/The Rise and Fall of Tempo /Why Tempo collapsed/UNEVEN MARCH: The Press at 150 Regulating the Press/An independent Press Ombudsman/Coping with a curious omission /Media Law and Ethics/What is Defamation?/The Internet, the Law & the Media/Information and Reputation Management/Managing Obasanjo’s Reputation/The President’s Media Management/Broadcasting/Broadcasting and the Family/Synergy in the Media Industry/Publishing Economics/Saving the Print Media Industry/Future of News Publishing/Managing newspapers in a distressed economy/Reinventing Publishing /Wrap-around: How far can the Press go?/Advertising/Question Mark on Advertising Creativity/Agency of the Future /LANGUAGE/In The Company of Mumpsimus/A Vice Called Verbosity/Interviews/‘Journalism: Not for Wealth Aspirers’/Titans have passed in Nigerian Journalism/‘We are going to look for new approaches in solving our problems’/‘Good pay alone, no panacea to corruption’/‘Nollywood does not represent Nigeria’s diverse culture’/‘We can be proud of our level of creativity’/“We have some of the finest journalists in the continent”/Book Reviews/There goes a Journalist and a Gentleman/A worthy honour/Writing it right/A challenge on media values, leadership/Roundtables/Let’s talk about the Press/All that fuss over Newspaper of the Year/The Media and the Party primaries/Imperative of Balance/Index.