An Assessment of the Mass Media and Management of Human Rights in Nigeria
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
- To investigate whether professional training of journalists or lack of it effects the media objectively.
- To find out the different ways of media control by government media and how it affects media coverage of human rights issues and violations.
- To discover whether ethnicity plays any influencing role in newspaper coverage of human rights activities
- To find out whether different ethic groups cover human right issues differently.
- Whether the discrepancies in media coverage
- It differs, should be attributed to tribal sentiments.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Journalism in the Era of New Media
Journalism, as those who are actively involved in it know, is an exciting but exerting job. But for those outside, there is a tendency to see more of the excitement. That is perfectly all right for the reader or viewer of the mass media products. However, for the practising journalist or those in training, it is realistic to appreciate the physical, mental, psychological financial and emotional exertions often associated with the job, especially in developing or emerging economies, largely because many media houses do not have adequate facilities. The most modern printing technologies are probably out of reach as a result of financial constraints. Physical impediments remain a clear and present danger as journalists are still assaulted in the course of carrying out their legitimate business. In fact, many have been killed in the course of doing their jobs. In 2011, Nigeria lost a Channels Television reporter in Kano. He was a victim of the Boko Haram sect, an insurgent militant group in Northern Nigeria which abhors anything “Western”. Despite the challenges, it is obvious that many journalists are gradually embracing the new media technologies in the performance of their duties, to the mutual benefit of their media organizations and their readers/viewers. This fact was attested to by Olise (2010, pp.232-234) when he observed that: It is no longer news that journalists in Nigeria have started embracing the new media for journalism practice. This is not surprising especially with the fact that they are living in the new information and communication world. Nigerian journalists employ the use of various new media to improve journalism practice. Some of these new media are the internet, email, video conferencing, mobile phone, DVD, CDROM, microcomputer, among a host of others. Although many have argued, with more than a grain of truth, that the ICTs have enhanced interdependence, but it has widened the gap between the rich Western nations and the poor countries of the South. According to Alozie (2010, p.38): ICTs force the world to become increasingly interdependent, it is also creating a wider economic gap between the North and South. These technologies are being used to convey Western software, such as advertising, music, news, and TV programmes, into Africa without reciprocal exchanges. This imbalance, coupled with the hegemony of global capitalism has compelled activists to voice their opposition (CNN.com 2001). During the 1990s, there were peaceful as well as violent protests in the major cities of Asia, South America, Africa, North America and Europe to protest globalization, capitalism and rapid technological advances. Despite the seeming political economic and even cultural disadvantages of the new media, it is not in doubt that ICTs have been of immense benefit to journalists in developing countries, especially in Nigeria. It might therefore be necessary at this point to discuss the new media, one after the other, with a view to exposing or explaining their potentials for enhancing journalism practice
E-mail: The electronic mail is an invaluable introduction in Nigeria’s communication arena. It got to a point where many residents did not even know of the existence of a post office around them. Mails took weeks or even months to move within the country, thereby destroying the confidence in the system. So slow were the mails that they are now known as “snail mails”. The private sector cashed in on it and introduced courier services at exorbitant costs. However, with the introduction of the e-mail, many heaved a sigh of relief. The journalists were perhaps the greatest beneficiaries as heir stories could get to the news room just in seconds. This enhances productivity of the reporter and the production process of the media organization.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine an assessment of the mass media and management of human rights in Nigeria. The nation newspaper form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain an assessment of the mass media and management of human right in Nigeria. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of an assessment of the mass media and management of human right in Nigeria
Summary
This study was on an assessment of the mass media and management of human right in Nigeria. Three objectives were raised which included: To investigate whether professional training of journalists or lack of it effects the media objectively, to find out the different ways of media control by government media and how it affects media coverage of human rights issues and violations, to discover whether ethnicity plays any influencing role in newspaper coverage of human rights activities, to find out whether different ethic groups cover human right issues differently, Whether the discrepancies in media coverage and It differs, should be attributed to tribal sentiments. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from the nation newspaper. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The media have been shown to play a dual role – as a promoter of human rights in view of their coverage of human rights abuses, and, as abuser of human rights as shown in Nigeria. Should the media then stay put in the promotion of human rights in view of the power they wield, or, should they stay out of human rights because of their occasional violations of human rights? But it seems the positive role of the media far outweighs any violations which might have marred their role. As indicated by the action of the nation newspaper in producing a documentary on child labour in Nigeria, the media will continue to be important in human rights promotion because they are needed to enthrone and nurture democracy which is in turn needed to guarantee respect for human rights. The media, in addition, create awareness on human rights and human rights abuses to help individuals whose rights have been violated to seek redress
Recommendation
Media institutions should be interested in human rights promotion by formulating their policies to make them conducive for human rights coverage. They should be prepared to invest in human rights programmes and also encourage their staff to get acquainted with the various human rights instruments to be able to effectively engage in human rights reporting. They should also devise feasible techniques for reporting human rights issues to make them receptive to media audience just as BBC One journalists did by using chocolate to convince chocolate consumers that they have the duty to promote human rights by paying for a fair price for the products to help in stopping child labour.
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