ABSTRACT
This study is aimed at examining the
roles played by the Nigeria media in consolidating democracy. In the course of
the study, the following questions were put forward: (1) ,What is the
relationship between media and democratic government? (2) What roles did the
media play in the last election? (3) What are the problems of the media in a
democracy? In the process of carrying out this research topic, the secondary
method of data collection was used (The theoretical framework was focused on
the Social Responsibility Theory. It proposes (that the media should accept and
carry out certain (responsibilities to the society purely on the ground of
information, and 'the provision of level opportunity for different
views/ideology. At the end of our investigations, we validate both hypothesis
1, 2 and 3 as follows:- (l) the media serve as an agent of watch dog over the
government; and the 'policing institution over the fundamental objectives and
direct principles of state policy as well as the citizen’s fundamental rights.
(2) The media played the roles of watchdog, information, voter educating, peace
building, political debate and discussion,
among other during the last election in Nigeria. (3) The problems of the
media in a democracy ranges from: overbearing government influence, to, poor
funding, lack of modern facilities, absence of life assurance scheme, and etc.
finally, we recommend that both the government and development agencies should
help map out a functional development plan as way of contributing to the upliftment
of the media. On the other hand, both the government and the general public
must be ready to welcome the systematic ways by which the media use in
approaching issues of national interest, while the media should build a
relationship to make sure that the noble profession of journalism maintains a
standard format in accordance with the professions code of conduct.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Front Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Table of Contents v
Abstract vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statements of the Problems 5
1.3 The Objectives of the Study 8
1.4 Significance of the Study 8
1.5 Methodology 9
1.6 Scope of the study 9
1.7 Limitation of the Study 10
1.8 Definition
of Terms 10
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Contextual Discourse …. … 14
2.2 The
Role of Media, in Political Education and
Dissemination of Political
Information 21
CHAPTER THREE: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
3.1 History of Radio Nigeria … 27
3.2 Democracy and Media in Nigeria … 30
3.3 Their Roles During the 2015 Election … 36
CHAPTER FOUR: GENERAL ANALYSIS
4.1 The Media Mass Mobilization … … 49
4.2 Political Education … … … 53
4.3 Challenges Faced by the Media … … 59
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Summary … … … 68
5.1 Conclusion … … … 70
5.2 Recommendations … 72
BIBLIOGRAPHY … … … 74
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background
of the Study
The role of
the media many given society more especially a society like Nigeria as one of
an example of such, is of great necessity. The media is the most accepted
veritable and functional means through which the citizens are been informed
based on the activities of those who they elected as their leaders in
government. This is mostly experienced in developed nations where the lives of
the citizens are said to be controlled by a few government officials. Internationally,
the media is generally accepted as one of the instruments used in making the
government be aware of the needs and aspirations of the people. It tends to
identify the different problems been experienced in our society and also, serve
as a platform for deliberations. The media is equally regarded as the watchdog
that the people place their hope on for exposing errors and wrongdoings by
those in powers or at the herm of affairs. It is based on this ideology that
our democratic society rests on the assumption that the media goes hand-in-hand
with democracy; and for this reason therefore, it is reasonable to acquire or
demand that the media operates to certain level with regard to these functions.
The most
important democratic roles that we can expect the media to play are listed in
an often cited article written by Gurevitch and Blumler (1990:187). These
functions include surveillance of socio-political developments, identifying the
relevant issues providing a platform for debate across a diverse range of views,
provide incentives for citizens to learn, holding officials to account for the
way they exercise power, choose and become involved in the political processes
and thereby resisting effort to force outside to subvert their independence.
However, it can only carry out these roles by keeping a close-watch on the
government.
The mass
media acts as a powerful instrument for disseminating developmental messages
and propagating programme of action simultaneously to available large number of
people; individual or in groups of varying sizes separated by distance from the
source of the message as regards dividends of democracy, equal right and
justice, Ume Chukwu (2002:28). Most importantly world leaders, democrats and
people with free mind need viable media to accomplish various developmental
projects as regards to democratic consolidation in their various countries,
The Nigeria
media especially the broadcast media have played pivotal roles in political
education and dissemination of political information in the country. Also, it
has played its roles in consolidating Nigerian democracy as well as being able
to achieve their functions through adequate conscientization of the citizens
about democratic norms. It follows that using its power to provide information,
education and entertainment to the citizens, the media contributes
substantially to the democratic rule in Nigeria as a nation. It does this:
through its assistance in building and maintaining an environment conducive to
democracy in the country with a special reference to the last 2015 general
election which was held in the country. It again promotes free choice of
leadership especially through voting education, respect for the rule of law by
the rulers and ruled, peace building, social justice and equity as well as
respect for basic human rights.
Furthermore,
the functions of the media goes beyond disseminating information to initiating
democratic features which is also a means of consolidating democracy in
Nigeria. Such features of democracy are itemized as follows: to create and give
room for opinions and association, to respect the rule of law, to appreciate majority
rule but try to accommodate and accord respects for the rights of minorities,
and also to ensure a free, fair, credible, peaceful, and acceptable election,
regularly. The media serve as the monitoring unit that ensures that democratic
principles are not swept under the carpet most especially at the time of
election. This assertion finds .expression in the argument published by the
(Electoral
Commission of Zambia 2015) as, “thus at election time, when constituents must
elect their representatives, it becomes doubly imperative that the media afford
them all information necessary for them to make informed choices about whom to
elect and whom not to elect into positions of authority”. Also, in the argument
of Emery et al (1968: 17) it expresses that “whatever other forces comes into
action, it is clear that the mass media of communication play a key role in the
widely available channel through which political leaders express their views
and seek to rally public backing for their policies? In the same line of
action, Naaba (2001:1) maintains that besides the parliament, the next
indicator that the society is under is its press.
A free and
well informed media are expected to be critical in promoting citizens
participation in democratic process, holding government to account and cm
powering poor communities through political education and dissemination of
political information, and peace building. Another essential role that the
media play is giving voice to the voiceless, bringing to the knowledge of all,
the major attributes of good governance such as transparency accountability,
efficiency, responsiveness and responsibility. In the process of actualizing
these functions, the media should not just be seen as mirror of the society, by
just passively reporting events. It is placed with the emphatic task of acting
as the watchdog of the citizenry and the monitors of positive change.
With the
emergence of a new democracy in May 29th, 1999, the Nigeria media have been
free to function under an environment that appreciates the rule of law. It has
also been given the liberty to bring to perfection, its statutory roles of
checks and balances, political education and dissemination of political
information in the country, especially during election period, and also a watchdog
over the happenings of events in the political system.
This study
is therefore to commend and acknowledge the roles played by the media in
political education and dissemination of political information in the country
and Enugu State in particular, especially during the last 2015 general
election, with regard to the consolidating of democratic governance in the
country.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
The media is
a necessary condition for democratic development. Scholars lire Marshall
McLuhan, Jurgen Habermas and John Thompson have demonstrated beyond doubt how
the media impact both on the individual and the society, shaping perception,
knowledge and attitude, influence social relations and setting agenda for the
public.
The media
which include print and electronic is a channel for the dissemination of
information, especially political information, sensitization and
conscientization of the people concerning equipping them with insights into the
going-on in their environment and around the world. This function is
essentially the bedrock of media criticism. However, particularly in the wake
of partisan journalism, sponsored news programmes, commercialized media
enterprise, political reporting, and propagandistic reportage in operation in
Nigeria, the media, particularly the broadcast media has taken a strange step
in the way and manner that it disseminates information. This has impacted
considerably on the question of objectivity, truth and fairness regarding news
contents. This ethical aberration has posed a serious contradiction to the
pristine configuration of media or journalistic business.
Using the
just concluded 2015 general elections as a mirror of the state of media
practice in the country, it is noteworthy that the members of the fourth estate
of the realm performed creditably well in the discharge of their duties. The
members of the Nigerian media were trained by the independent National
electoral commission and some other agencies ahead of the elections. In
discharging their duties, they did inform and educate the masses about the
electoral process. They wrote editorials, did news analysis, conduct opinion
polls, and organized political debates among the candidates and their political
parties. Many electronic media outlets also designed political education)
programmes through which election experts were invited to shed light on some
knotty political issues. This was between March 10, and April 23, 2015 and were
done on both radio and television, many of which were live discussion
programmes.
As the saying
goes, there are two sides to every coin. The media in the cause of their
political reports also exhibited some excesses. A number of the reports of some
of the media houses were not only sensational and exaggerated but were also
patently biased. Some of them threw ethics and standards to the wind and acted
recklessly. They dished out falsehood, half-truths and jaundiced reports for
public consumption. They concocted stories and forecast winners based on
primordial sentiments. There' is no doubt that the ownership structure has a
lot of influence on the orientation and service delivery of many of media
outfits. Many otherwise apolitical news media outlets came under political
pressure of their owners or due to pecuniary gains.
The critical
issue now appears to be how the media can be positioned to effectively play its
roles of political education watchdog disseminating of political information,
among others, to the general public. This is because, the paramount tenent of
the mass media in political education and dissemination of political
information in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized but in spite of the basic
roles of the Nigerian media, there seem to be a vacuum in its performance in
providing an unbiased political education and dissemination of political
information. Therefore, this study presents the following:
l. What is the relationship between the
media and democratic government?
2. What roles did the media play in the last
election?
3. What are the problems of the media in a
democracy?
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
1. To establish a relationship between the
media and the government.
2. To determine the roles the media played in
a democratic society.
3. To proffer a workable solution to the
challenges facing the media in
a democratic setting.
1.4 Significance
of the Study
The study of
this nature will help to demonstrate how the media could b used to shape
political behavior attitudes and perceptions of the people concerning
electoral/political matters. It will also serve as a veritable instrument that
can be use to promote objectivity and fairness when issues of national interest
is raised up. In view of the critical, informative and sensitization nature of
the media to contribute to the public discourse of which electoral process is
one of such, as well as to further educate the citizenry on the current
happenings based on political matters and on how to offer reasoned opinions
that will not go a long way to disintegrate the unity of the entire nation.
This study will serve as a vehicle through which the media will use or depend
on in consolidating the content of democracy in Nigeria.
During the
military era, the military saw the media, particularly dangerous. Within that
setting, laws were decreed to undermine and keep the media in check, which
inhibited the media freedom and performance, more especially the broadcast
media. This study when completed will be both academically and socially
significant to the media, the governments, the students and the general public.
Again, this study
will help the trainees, practicing journalists or reporters and the general
public in understanding the functions .and contributions of the media in
political education and dissemination of political information towards
consolidating and promoting democracy in Nigeria. The study is also hoped to
enable the readers know how far the Nigeria media have gone in fostering
democratic elections in the country within the stated period under
consideration.
1.5 Methodology
For any
research to be meaningful, reliable and scientific, facts and ideas must be
supplemented with empirical data. The method use in the cause of this study is
Secondary methods of data collection.
The
Secondary sources of materials include textbooks; magazines, journals;
government publications, unpublished papers and articles, official documents,
and internet materials
The method
of data analysis used in the course of the study is content analysis.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of
this study covers the period 2011 to 2015, which explains the period after last
election in Nigeria and period leading to the 2015 general elections. The study
tends to explain the different behavior and role played by the mass media
towards enhancing electioneering in Nigeria.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
The study is however,
bedevilled by several limitations which are inevitable. This include the
problem of getting the required and relevant text from the library; logistic
problem of transporting one from place to place. The researcher not allowed or
attended to by library attendants also form a limitation to the study.
Financial constraints is one of the factor forming a limitation to this study.
However, despite all the noted limitation the work was able to meet the
required goal of the study.
1.8 Definition
of Terms
Media: The main ways that large numbers of
people receive information and entertainment, Gg-Radio, Television, the
Internet etc.
Democracy: A system of government in which all
the people of a country can vote to elect their representatives.
Consolidation: To make a position of power or
success stronger so that it is more likely to continue or, to join things into
one so that it may become stranger.
Media Watchdog: media as a watchdog of the society
and of the government means that the media serves as mirror through which the
activities of both society and the government are been checkmated and made
known to the public.
To Disseminate/Propagate Information or Programme: To spread
information
programme or knowledge etc. so that it reaches many people
Dividend of Democracy: An amount
of profit the people or a group of persons, state or constituencies gain as a
reward from the people they elect to represent them in government.
Social Justice and Equity: A situation
whereby everyone is being accepted as one, and treated as equals.
Transparency: The quality of something, such as a
situation or an argument that makes it easy to understand. It is also used in a
political term when describing a particular electoral process or leadership.
Other words used in this form are accountability efficiency, credibility.
Responsive: reacting quickly and in a positive
way. The media are seen to be responsive in their manner of political education
and information dissemination.
Sensitive: To make somebody or something more
aware of something, especially a problem or something bad. It is also used as a
political term to mean; making the public to be aware or have an idea about
political issues. Another word used in this form is conscientize.
Partisan Journalism: Showing too much support for one
person, group or idea when collecting, writing and reportage of information
especially political information without considering it carefully.
Propagandistic Reportage: It means
giving or spreading false ideas or statements that are used in order to gain
support for a political leader, a party or group etc.
Ethical Aberration: This is of a feeling, connected
with beliefs, principles, or action that makes one to behave in an unusual an
unacceptable way.
Jaundiced Reports: An unpleasant or unuseful
information’s by the media.
Primordial Sentiment: A feeling,
opinion or desire that is connected to emotions.
Apolitical: A situation whereby one is not
interested in politics or its happenings. Not thinking politics are important.
Voting Behaviour: The way or manner in which a person
behaves over political matters or happenings around his/her environment.
Editorial Independence: Giving free
liberty or freedom to media industries to proper, write, publish and equally
report any information on radio, television, news papers, etc without external
interference.
National Integration: National
(unity i.e., uniting the different parts, religions, tribes, peoples and
different ideologies together in a country’s activities or affairs.
Political Mobilization: Organizing
a group that will work together in order to achieve political objectives or
goals especially during election.
Political Trajectories: Used when
referring to the political boundaries of a nation or state. E.g. the state,
local governments, constituencies, senatorial districts, etc.
Mandate: The authority to do something,
given to a government or other organization by the people who vote for it in an
election.
Enfranchise: To give one the right to vote in an
election.
Public Consensus: A general opinion agreed by all
over a particular matter or issues.
Campaign: A series of activities, mostly
political activities organized by one or apolitical group to achieve a
particular position or goal in government.
Revolution: An attempt, by a large number of
people, to change the government of a country, especially by violent action.
Empirical Data: Data or information that is based
on experience or experiment rather than theories,
To Exude Air of Probity: To show or
express quality of honesty. It is a term been recognized in media reportage.
Ginger-Up: It is a term used by the media when
referring to motivating a person, or group of people.
Social Responsibility: A duty that
is placed on one, a group, an establishment or a society to carry out a
particular task or function.
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