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Illusion And Reality Of Press Freedom In Attaining A True Democratic System Of Government In Nigeria
[A Study of Enugu North]
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The government and the press should strike a balance between social
responsibility, state security and freedom of the press. The long
existing friction where the both bodies (government and press) see each
other as arch-enemies should be revisited for the proper reorientation
from both sides. The rule of law should be made sacred in very
practicable term as well as proper respect for the fundamental human
rights. The provision of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigera, section 15,16,17,18 and 20 which provide for political,
economic, social, educational, foreign policy and environmental
objectives respectively should be given a thorough consideration and
implementation. Providing for these objectives will drastically reduce
the trends of the press bickering with the government because the
reasons for the media agitation to protect the social interest are being
taken care of.
Transparency and accountability on the side of the
government will considerably ensure if not entirely eliminate the case
of the protected place. The press on the other hand should uphold high
ethical principles and make social responsibilities its watchdog in a
conducive environment of informing. Entertaining, and educating the
society along side with the other 7
functions of the media. This social responsibility concept should be one that the journalist should rationally arrive at.
There are a number of theories that capture the essence of press freedom.
A. Authoritarian Theory
Siebert
et al (1956:P42) “truth was conceived not to be the product of the
great mass of the people, but of a few wise men that were in a position
to guide and direct their fellowâ€. Thus truth was thought to be centred
near the centre of power. The press therefore, functioned from time past
to inform the people of what the rulers “thoughtâ€, they should know and
the policies the rulers thought they should support. With this theory,
the government of the monarch was vested with the power to control the
ownership and use of the media for mass communication.
Besides, no
press dared criticize the monarch, government officials of the political
machinery, as the existed principally to support and advance the
policies of the monarch and by extension, the government. It is this
perception of press freedom that greatly, influenced military government
in Nigeria. 8
B. Libertarian Theory
The argument of its
proponents is that man is a thinking independent and a rational animal
that is capable of making a choice between what is good and that which
is bad. Man, according to Siebert et al (1956) is no longer conceived as
a dependent being (as in authoritarian theory) “to be led and directed,
rather as a rational being able to discern between a better and worse
alternative choicesâ€. Truth is no longer conceived of as the property of
power, rather the right to search for truth is one of the alienable
natural rights of man..., the press is conceived as a partner in search
for truth.
Oloyede (1996: Ps 3-4) identifies three major ingredients
of press freedom under libertarianism. One is the assumption of the
presence of a multiplicity of voices on public issues at al times. The
second components is the absence of state control in the operation of
the news media, while the third is the financial independence of the
press.
The basic characteristic of press freedom under the
libertarian theory is however summed up by Mc Quail (1987: Ps115-116)
cited in Sadeeq (1993) they are that Publication should be free from any
prior censorship by any third party; the act of publication and
distribution should be open to a person or group without permit or
licence; attack on any government officials or political party (as
distinct from attacks on private individuals or treason and breaches of
security) should not be punishable, even after the event, there should
be no compulsion to punish anything.
 Publication of „errors‟ is
protected equally with that of truth in matters of opinion and belief;
no restriction should be placed on the collection, by legal means of
information for publication; there should be no restriction on export
and import or sending or receiving “messages†across national frontiers;
journalists should be able to claim a considerable degree of
professional autonomy within their organization.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This paper examines the illusion and reality of press freedom in attaining a true democratic system of government in Nigeria. Area of the study was Enugu metropolis which comprises of Enugu North and Enugu South, as area considered one of the nerve centres of intense political activities in Nigeria. Data were collected through questionnaire. Survey method was used for this work. Findings show that the illusion and reality of press freedom in attaining a true democratic system of government in Ni ... Continue reading---
