A PERISCOPIC VIEW OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN NIGERIA

Benedette Olimma (PhD)

Abstract


This work is aimed at highlighting the interconnectedness of press freedom and democracy in Nigeria, using President Obasanjo’s administration as a case study. The recognition of the press as the watchdog of the society connotes the capacity of the press to monitor governmental activities. However, in Nigeria, the authority controls the press in manners that negates the principle of press freedom. Data was collected through the simple random sampling technique and analyzed using the Yaro Yamini formula and the scientific chi-square methodology. The results reveals that, there is a positive link between press freedom, democracy, and development. The work therefore recommends that the government should advance the cause of press freedom, by granting the press a free hand to its duty, and that there should be continuous intensive training and retraining for journalists to make them more professionally competent and globally competitive. The work also recommends that those in authority, should be tolerant of the press, and that the press should observe the ethics of its profession.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Abati, R., 1998, ‘Press Freedom in Nigeria: 1859-1998’, in Atere, A.A. and A. Olagbemi, eds.,

Communication, Language and Culture in Society, Lagos: Bolaji and Associates

Agee, W. K. Ault, P. H. Emery, E. (1979). Introduction to Mass Communications. (6th ed). New York: Harper and Row

Ajibade, O. (2003). “Press Freedom and the Social Political Obligations of the Mass Media in Nigeria”.

In G. J. Afolabi,(Ed). Babcock Journal of Management and Social Sciences.

Akinola, R., 1998, Nigerian Media and Legal Constraint: Analysis of Press Legislation in Nigeria, Lagos: Centre for Free Speech

Asekome, M. O. (2008). ‘Role of the Press in Nigerian Economic Reforms and Democratization

Process for National Development” In F. I. A. Omu and G. E. Oboh (Eds).Mass Media in Nigerian Democracy. Ibadan: StirlingHorden Publishers

Asemah (2011) Selected Mass Media Themes. Jos: Great Future Press.

Baran, S. J. (2002). Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture. (2nd ed). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Jacobs, S., 2002, ‘How Good is the South African Media for Democracy?’, African and Asian Studies, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 280-298.

Kim, H.S. and Hama-Saeed, M., 2008, ‘Emerging Media in Peril’, Journalism Studies, Vol. 9, Issue 4, pp. 578-594.

Merrill, J.C., 1974, The Imperative of Freedom, New York: Hastings House.

Momoh, T. (2002).Nigerian Media Laws. Lagos: Efua Media Associates.

National Human Rights Commission Newsletter, (December 2007) Vol 7 pg 26.

National Human Rights Commission Newsletter, (July – Sept. 2011) Vol 12 pg 2.

Nwanne, B. U. (2008). Essentials of News Reporting and Writing. Lagos: Broada Publications.

Nwanne, B. U. (2012). “The Mass Media and Development Communication: Emerging Issues in Nigeria” In O. D. Awaritefe and C. Ewhrudjakpor (Eds). Journal of Social and Management Sciences.7 (1).

Oji, M. (2006). “Comparative Media Systems: A Global View of Press Freedom”. In N. Okoro (Ed).International Journal of Communication. No. 6, May.

Onagoruwa, T. (1985). New Directions for Journalism in Nigeria Ibadan: NUJ-NTA.

Rodney, W. (1972).How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. London: BogleL’ourverture Publications.

Sambe, J. A. and Ikoni, U. D. (2004).Mass Media and Ethics in Nigeria. Ibadan: Caltop Publications Nigeria Ltd.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights.(1948). Article 19.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Benedette Olimma (PhD)

 

 

ISSN: 3027-0510 (Online)

 

   

 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.