NVAA Blame Online Publications For Declining Sales

THE Newspaper Vendors Association Abuja (NVAA) has blamed online publications for the declining sale of newspapers in Nigeria in the past two years. 

  According to them, many people do not bother about buying the hard copies because the stories are already online where they are freely accessible, before papers hit the news. Online news platforms, like The Cable, Premium Times, Sahara Reporters and some other first tier publications are renowned for breaking news on the Internet media space.

  Chairman of NVAA, Samuel Jimoh, while lamenting the development recently at the formal inauguration of the newly elected executives of the council, called on media organisations to help them by prolonging the breaking of news online, until the hard copies have been sold to readers.

  He also said that poor welfare had affected their members, as most of them get knocked down or killed while chasing vehicles in traffic owing to the dearth of newsstands which would have made readers stop by to buy papers.  

  “As you know, we are the ones on the street and know better concerning the sales of newspaper. Since the advent of the social media, we have been having so many challenges concerning the sales of paper.

  “This is because, before the arrival of the papers, the stories are already on the Internet and since many people are accessible to it freely, they don’t consider buying of papers any longer; that has been a great threat to our survival,” he said. 

  He also stated that NVAA had called out to various media organisations to desist from posting information and news item online, noting that it would compel readers to buy the papers. 

  “We are not saying that news should not be posted online because we know that it is a global trend but we are saying that the idea of sending it before the print comes out should be stopped. If they can give us the grace of posting this stories by noon, after we might have made sales, it will help us out,” he added. 

  Jimoh also highlighted the risk newspaper vendors go through everyday, saying members occasionally get knocked down while running after vehicles to make sales. 

  “If all media houses will consider the construction of newsstands, it will help us a great deal. We have written to so many media houses in this respect and all we get from them is disappointment. We don’t need to run after vehicles to sell our papers. If we are well organised and well coordinated, people will come to buy from us.”