On April 30, 2022, Mr Ademola Osinubi bowed out of Punch Newspapers; the establishment he worked in for 45 years.
Until his exit, he was a reporter, news editor, Editor, General Manager and then Managing director/ Editor-In-Chief.
He occupied the position of MD/EIC for a period of 27 years. For the cumulative time he served in the organisation; 27 years were under the civilian government and 18 years were spent under military rule.
Osinubi thus has the rare privilege of a lifetime experience that may not be rivalled in Nigeria. It is not certain another person would be able to match his record of practising journalism under both the military and civilian governments for that length of time in one organisation.
For many stakeholders in the industry, Osinubi’s time in The Punch was not only legendary but also a testimony of the kind of niche he has carved for himself.
There is no doubt about the wealth of experience in his kitty. One cannot also acknowledge his managerial prowess and his ability to run an organisation to profit in an uncertain economy like Nigeria.
While we keep revelling in the achievements of this media guru, it will be necessary to review the implication of his long stay in The Punch and the attendant consequence for the new Adeyeye Joseph led management.
On face value, Osinubi’s 45-year stay in The Punch had a long-term positive effect on the organisation. Decisions were seamless and there hardly was any hiccup in the corporate governance of the organisation. It was also easy to track the gains and losses of the organisation since there was no cluster in the management.
READ ALSO: OSINUBI: My ‘beautiful’ early career years at The Punch
One reality with The Punch however was that during the 27-year tenure of Osinubi as MD, the staff turnover of the organisation was high. Though the staff welfare was top notch going by what is obtained in the industry, the high rate of the sacking of staff and resignations in the organisation gave Punch a blighted image in the media world.
While some find the pay in the organisation attractive, many are taken aback by the restiveness of its environment. Some argue that The Punch environment is stifling. They would rather work in a place where the pay is not much and at the same time have their freedom.
However is that now that Osinubi had exited the organisation, what would be the implication of his 27 years of management on the incumbent Managing Director?
Is there a need for Joseph to tinker with the management style he met on the ground? Does the current media environment allow for the Osinubi style of leadership? What new innovation will Joseph bring to play that will make the organisation maintain its lead in the media industry?
For a long time, the management will have to grapple with these factors. One reality the current management has to live with however is that the Osinubi management style worked as long as it lasted.
The question is: Should the current management tow this same line? Joseph will have to painstakingly review Osinubi’s style and find a way to align it with the current reality. Will the old wine fit into the new bottle?
Already, before Osinubi bowed out, the organisation had to face some hard realities. The monopoly it used to enjoy is now being challenged by the new media. The number of reporters that resigned from the organisation on their own has also increased compared to what was obtained in the early years of his management.
The profit margin of the organisation must also be decreasing by the day as more players are joining the media industry.
These realities tell a lot about what will happen in the years to come. The Joseph-led management has to evolve a strategic template that will take the organisation to the next level.
The management will for instance have to look at the workplace plan for staff and find a middle ground between staff discipline and professionalism.
In the past, Punch reporters were sacked at the slightest instance of the error. Will that trend still continue?
One of the hard realities of the media world today is that good hands are rare. Many of the young people around are good with the Internet. But when it comes to professional news judgment, it is always hard to get good hands.
So, the current management has to think through the age-long style of the organisation.
It’s a two-way thing for the organisation. It may continue to soar while implementing the old management style. On the other hand, if it continues with the style, it may wake up one day to being treated like a leper in the media world.
The truth about the media industry is that it is evolving at the speed of light. Every person who owns an android phone is now a journalist. The public really doesn’t know the difference. All they want is the news and they seem not to care how the news is served.
Professionalism is being thrown to the dogs. The only difference traditional newspapers can make is to serve news items that distance them from the crowd on the ground.
If it can’t achieve that given the paucity of good hands, it will be difficult to tell the difference and that will in the long-run impact their income.
The greatest challenge The Punch will face in the coming years is maintaining its lead in the media industry.
Unfortunately, Punch has maintained a solo brand ever since. Though it is having a good grasp of online media, its presence in electronic media is not as strong as expected.
By now one would have also expected that it would be running a media school and engage in some regular commercial media training given its pedigree in the industry. That is not being done.
Many only know the Punch brand and this may not be too tidy for the competitive media years ahead.
Joseph’s success will lie largely on his ability to weigh the pros and cons of the management style of the organisation over the years in line with the current reality in the media industry. It will also lie in his own ingenuity and ability at creating a management style that is future compliant.
