Being an innovative or product thinking media manager or journalist is not a new concept, as it seems following the digital disruption of the traditional media ecosystem.
At the Nigeria Media Leaders Summit, the Convener, Mr Taiwo Obe recalled many innovative publications and initiatives by the late former Managing Director of the old Daily Times, Alhaji Babatunde Jose that made the company one of the leading media conglomerates on the continent.
The Leadership lessons from Jose, based on excerpts from his book WALKING A TIGHT ROPE Power Play in Daily Times, include the following:
*Within one year, the management of DTN determined that the company was broadly in the communication business – newspapers, magazines, books, cinemas and radio. The company diversified into commercial printing and packaging, real estate, investments, etc.
*”We tried without success to buy into LINTAS, the advertising agency, EMI, the record company, Rediffusion Nigeria Limited, and a cinema company.”
*After observing the poor quality of available talent, DTN launched a Graduate Scheme for the training of journalists and other professionals – bright young men and women with talent and intelligence without University education.
*When Jose took over as MD, the company had only three titles – Daily Times, Sunday Times and Sporting Record. Before his retirement, 10 were added, each one established to fill needs, largely informed by his methodical observation of consumers’ habits.
*DTN bought off the rights of a magazine, AMBER, from Mrs Hilda Ogunbanjo, nee Ladipo, and relaunched it as WOMAN’s WORLD
*HOME STUDIES: An increasing number of young Nigerians were taking correspondence courses to prepare for either WASCE or GCE O’Level. So, to cater for their needs, a 24pp tabloid was created with qualified teachers teaching English, Mathematics, History and Science subjects.
TIMES INTERNATIONAL was launched as a weekly magazine to perform similar functions to “TIME” and “NEWSWEEK” after buying a magazine named INSIGHT then being published by the British High Commission in Lagos and changed the title to TIMES INTERNATIONAL.
HEADLINES: In discussing with the younger generation of Nigerians, they did not know much about the recent history of their country. So, I said we should start a magazine which would be published in newspaper format and which would rewrite important events and developments in the country that were at least ten years old.
BUSINESS TIMES: Following the indigenisation of companies in 1974, people were buying shares. This paper was started to provide information about stocks and shares, the market situation, etc.
EVENING TIMES : Jose had found during his trek back to the office from lunch at the Metropolitan Club that many people slept in the buses while returning home from work, and launched the paper.
LAGOS WEEKEND: The only title created with dual purpose: entertainment – Lagos social life, nightclubs and social gossips; and training support for the Graduate Scheme students of the Time Training School, which was also established.
