By Joshua Nicol
The Advertising industry is as old, as the country’s print media; in that the first newspaper, said to be published in Sub-Saharan Africa, in the year 1801, was called; The Royal Sierra Leone Gazette and Advertiser; which implies some level of advertising though almost certainly, not on today’s scale.
The status of the advertising industry in Sierra Leone leaves much to be desired, more especially in the electronic media, where the bulk of advertising is placed.
One of the Independent Media Commission’s provisions on Advertising, requests that adverts ‘Be produced by well trained professionals, preferably Sierra Leoneans.’ This is where the problem lies, within the advertising industry.
The majority of the adverts on local radio and television are devoid of any professionalism, whatsoever; breaching almost every aspect of the advertising code. One, such breach is what is called, ‘Social-imbalance in Advertising’. It refers to the use of religious words or symbols; profiling and stereotyping of ethnic minorities, women and children, and people living with disability. In short; advertising should ‘not offend good taste, nor be patently untrue’.
Among the most popular of such words and phrases, containing these ‘Social Imbalances’ are; Lock Bush/Opin Bush (which refers to efforts, by members of the Hunting Fraternity, to prohibit all hunting expeditions, when the animals are pro-creating- used before the commencement/end of the month of Ramadan); All Creatures, Great and Small (from the refrain of Christian hymn, All things Bright and Beautiful)- ( it refers to all shapes and types of women); Balogun wan han (mocking people with disability); Sullay turn the machine now man (why reserve the menial jobs, for the Sullays of this world?); and the mimicking of the way the Fullahs, speak Krio (motor vehicle spare parts adverts).
All the above Social imbalances have the tendency of causing offence in society; as they are insensitive to the feelings of individual members of the affected religion, ethnic group or those with disability. The use and misuse of the country’s National Arms and Emblems, in advertising is also of serious concern because the Advertising Code stipulates that prior permission must be obtained from the President’s Office.
In order to bring sanity to the Advertising Industry, the Independent Media Commission has taken the first step, by requesting all Advertising agencies, and those individuals involved in the production of ads, to register with the Commission.
The next logical step should be establishing standards of training and professionalism which should be in line with IMC’s Advertising Industry’s Policy Objective (iii) ‘Be produced by well-trained professionals, (…)’.
Station control
The onus lies with broadcasting stations, to exercise full editorial control, over the content, they broadcast; whether news and information, or advertisements.
For advertising; there are two routes, through which adverts get to a broadcasting facility; or through an advertising agency; or direct by the advertiser. Through the former, the adverts are pre-packaged and ‘ready to go-on-air’; while for the latter, they are produced by the station’s in-house commercial department. But, whatever the route; the station is under obligation, in ensuring that the advertisement conforms to the established standards of ‘Be truthful, honest, decent, legal and culturally acceptable (…); Contain no misleading statements about the products and services advertised’.
This brings into sharp focus, religious advertisements, sponsored by our ‘Men of God’; and those by Traditional Healers. The promises contained in the religious ads, will literally bring ‘heaven to earth’; with their very appealing Themes (Rescue the Perishing, This Nonsense must stop, My Year of Divine fulfillment etc.); and they tend to prey on the vulnerable; and desperate, who may need some sort of divine intervention in their lives, for the realization of their dreams (healing, jobs, US/British Visa; or even marriage). Fortunately or unfortunately, the IMC Advertising Code shies away from such controversial issue of regulating faith-based advertising.
Although the Code regulates Medical Advertising; the Code is very silent on Traditional Medicine; and therefore these traditional healers (names withheld) have a field day, in promoting their prowess in ‘being able to cure, all manner of ailments’. ‘’No one has yet invented a pill that cures a known human ailments’’ according to Richard Aspinall.
Product/Service Denigration
Although the Code permits comparative claims; it frowns at advertisements that discredit or unfairly attack the products/services of identifiable competitors (as in the case of a well-established Mobile phone company; against new kid on the block; … Yap, Yap Network).
Perhaps, these breaches or Code violations are due to the dearth of knowledge or professionalism in the advertising and broadcast industries.
Advertising in the Print Media, generally conforms to the Code; but that does not however preclude it from a minor inconvenience; that’s the absence of an Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). This bureau provides circulation figures of newspapers; which may inform advertising rates. For example, a newspaper with a circulation figure of ten thousand copies per edition; is expected to have a higher rate for placement of ads; than those with a lower circulation. Unfortunately, that’s not the case; as they all charge the same irrespective of circulation figures; the IMC should give it a choice.
The IMC Advertising code is also silent on ambient advertising (Out Of Home, advertising); which is very prevalent, around major intersections, places of worship, Schools, and on walls of cemeteries-they tend to compromise the aesthetics and natural beauty. Digital technology, has also given us, Digital (electronic) Out Of Home advertising; though not illegal, it has the tendency of distracting, vehicular and pedestrian traffic-an assignment for the Road Safety Authority!
The Advertising Industry has the potential of contributing positively to the country’s national development, (Economic, Social, Political, Educational etc.), provided it is well regulated, within the letter and spirit of the Advertising Code.
Joshua Nicol is a lecturer in the department of Mass Communication Fourah Bay College
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