NAN-ELS-2
Vendors
By Justina Auta
Abuja, May 5, 2017 (NAN) Newspaper vendors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have attributed their poor sales to cheaper access to news and current affairs on various online news media sites.
Some of the vendors who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja said the bane to their business were, to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, instagram, Youtube, 2go, BBM among others.
They said that these social media had made news reports easily accessible to the public.
Isiaka Bello, a newspaper vendor, decried poor sales, adding that he sold less than 50 per cent of his target in most cases.
“Even though, I have changed location several times and even sell during raining or scorching hot, sales have not improved.
‘’This is because people prefer to read news online rather than buy hard copy from us,” Bello lamented.
Similary, Sunday Chikwuka, another vendor said,‘’We record less sales now because people prefer to get immediate breaking news online.
‘’This is so as long as there is network signals or reception, rather than wait for the papers to print the story after several hours or a day.
“People, nowadays, prefer to buy hard copies for their libraries to keep at their office reception for guests.
They also do so when they need more detailed information published in the papers such as advertisement,” Chikwuka said
Another vendor, Ali Maitakarda, however said he enjoyed more patronage from sport fans, who patronised him for sport dailies.
“Sport papers sell very fast because they are cheap and not everyone has access to online sport news or cable satellite to watch sports,” Maitakarda said.
On the other hand, Ade Bolaji, another vendor, however, described the in adequate power supply as a blessing in disguise, saying that the development had improved patronage for him.
He said some customers who had difficulty in accessing news online, television or radio due to power outage had resorted to buying newspapers.
Bolaji said that unemployed youths seeking employment also patronised him to flip through newspapers for job advertisements.
Some other members of the public told NAN that they preferred to get online news, rather than buy hard copies of newspapers.
Moses Emmanuel, a civil servant, said he did not buy hard copies of newspapers because of their bulkiness and stale news.
But, Istifanus Tagwai, a businessman, said even though online newspapers were cheaper to access than hard copies, he preferred buying hard copies.
“Hard copies are more detailed and carried information that might not be accessible online or on the television or radio.
” Also, these vendors also need a job, so I prefer to patronise them, though I have access to online news on my phone.
‘’I am doing this just to enable them have a source of income,” Tagwai added. (NAN)
JAD/ORO/DUA
Edited by Razak Owolabi/Dada Ahmed