Madina Maishanu: Why Serious Interviews Demand Serious Journalism
Opinion
Madina Maishanu: Why Serious Interviews Demand Serious Journalism
By Usman Mohammed Binji
Chairman Nigeria union of journalists sokoto State council.
Journalism, at its highest level, is not entertainment. It is accountability. It is the disciplined pursuit of truth, often through uncomfortable questions and firm engagement.
This fundamental principle lies at the heart of the recent debate surrounding BBC journalist Madina Maishanu.
Madina Maishanu did not invent investigative interviewing. She followed a global tradition practiced by the world’s most respected broadcast journalists. Legendary American broadcaster Edward R. Murrow once said, “To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful.” Serious interviews are designed to extract truth, not to offer comfort.
Across the world, hard interviews are standard practice. Christiane Amanpour of CNN is famous for her uncompromising style with presidents, generals, and rebels alike. She famously stated, “I don’t believe in being neutral when it comes to facts.”
Her interviews with world leaders are often direct, tense, and probing yet they are celebrated as models of professional journalism.
Similarly, BBC’s own HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur routinely subjects global leaders to relentless questioning. Former British Prime Minister Theresa May, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and many others have faced Sackur’s pointed style. No one accuses him of disrespect; instead, he is praised for holding power to account.
In Africa, Arise TV’s Rufai Oseni and Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye are known for firm political interviews that challenge evasive answers.
Internationally, BBC’s Andrew Neil built a reputation as one of the toughest interviewers in broadcast history.
His method was simple: prepare thoroughly, ask directly, and insist on clarity.
These journalists share one professional creed: accountability journalism is not soft.
Madina Maishanu merely applied these universal standards. She asked questions meant to clarify issues of public interest.
That is not hostility; it is responsibility.
The Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics states that journalists must “seek truth and report it” and “hold those with power accountable.
"This obligation sometimes produces uncomfortable moments, but discomfort is often the birthplace of transparency.
Criticism of Madina Maishanu therefore reflects a misunderstanding of how serious interviews work.
Broadcast journalism is not a courtesy visit; it is a structured engagement designed to inform citizens. When journalists dilute their questioning to avoid controversy, society loses.
There is also a deeper concern. Female journalists worldwide face disproportionate backlash for exhibiting the same firmness that earns male journalists praise.
Christiane Amanpour has spoken openly about this double standard, noting that women are often labeled “aggressive” for behavior that is considered “professional” in men.
Nigeria cannot afford such regressions. Our democracy depends on journalists who are courageous, prepared, and principled.
In defending Madina Maishanu, we are not merely supporting one reporter we are defending the very standards that make journalism meaningful.
Serious interviews must remain serious. Anything less is public relations, not journalism.
Madina Maishanu did what every trained journalist is taught to do: ask clear questions, seek honest answers, and serve the public interest.
That is professionalism.
That is journalism.
