Trendy Finds

Newsline Newspaper was established in 1986 by Col D A B Mark, the then military governor of the state. The launching and public presentation of the newspaper was one of the key events lined up to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the creation of the state. The paper was founded to inform, educate, enlighten, and entertain Nigerlites, both at home and in the diaspora. Even today, in spite of the

several changes that has occurred in the publication, the paper has a strong local appeal, but it also includes news and stuff of interest to non-Nigerlites. The paper was first edited by Hassan Kolos, whose official designation was Managing Editor. It began as a 16 page paper, printed inKaduna, using New Nigerian Newspaper printing facilities. In 1992, however, the state government acquired printing facilities for the organisation; these include the state-of-the-art machine, Speedmaster, and a standby facility called Kord 64. In later years when the Speedmaster became non-functional, the later machine had been used to publish the newspaper. Other facilities acquired in 1992 include the paper cutting machine called the guillotine, stitching and folding machines. These facilities primed the organisation to print the newspaper and eke additional incomes from commercial printing activities. Newsline Newspaper was first published by Niger Printing and Publishing Company as a weekly; then it became a bi-weekly, obtainable at the newsstands on Wednesdays and Sundays. In 1992, the company rolled out the vernacular edition, called Tauraruwa, whose medium of mass circulation was Hausa. In later years, due to excruciating cash crunch, occasioned by poor funding and the rising cost of production, the newspaper company temporarily suspended the publication of two titles – the midweek edition of Newsline and Tauraruwa. However, with the coming of Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, as the state governor in 2007, the suspended titles have been resuscitated, as funding dramatically improved. The pagination for all the titles increased by some 50 per cent, with more pages put to colour. The papers are denser, richer, and more colourful. In 2002, following changes in the state law establishing the newspaper company, the newspaper was put under the supervision and administration of a new body known as Niger State Media Corporation (NSMC). This law changed the nomenclature of the chief executive officer of the company, traditionally called managing editor, to executive director. Direct funding for the organisation stopped, except through the NSMC, something which severely crippled the effectiveness of the Newsline titles. To liberate the media outfit from this stifling law and bring in private capital into its operations, the state government has recently tabled an amendment bill before Niger State House of Assembly to dissolve the corporation and introduce some reforms. Presently, a committee has been constituted by the Dr Babangida administration, under the chairmanship of Alh Umar Muhammed Nasko, the state commissioner for tourism and culture, to resuscitate the media outfit and make internal conditions attractive for private capital participation in the publishing venture.