The Mass Media Ownership Policies And Ethical Problems Of Nigerian Journalist

The Mass Media Ownership Policies And Ethical Problems Of Nigerian Journalist
Abstract
The broad focus of this study borders on the mass media ownership policies and ethical problems of Nigerian journalist. The study further discussed if the media ownership factor influence editorial policy of a private (Newspaper) medium. It also ascertained whether the job of the journalism be used to check the influence of media ownership on editorial policy.Survey research design was employed for the study and with aid of convenient sampling selected Thirty-Six (36) participant who are media practitioners and journalist of Newspaper publications in Uyo as the sample size for this study. The sources of data collection was both primary and secondary with the application of questionnaires as an instrument to gather the necessary data. The questionnaires were properly completed as well returned by only 30 respondent after being administered and this was a basis by which the primary data were collected. Primary data collated was analyzed using simple percentage, frequencies and tables and the result were similar to those of the responses drawn from the revealed that most journalist are aware of the ethics and principles of journalism, however struggles to maintain professionalism during the practices of journalism. Instead, the media functions to regurgitate the imposed agendas of its owners, their friends and associates and when they fail to do so, job security of the journalist in private newspaper house can be guaranteed. This shows that current media ownership pattern and the level of media control in Nigeria actually hinder the media from independently setting society‟s agenda. Therefore, ethics of journalism can be used to check the influence of the media ownership on the editorial policy. The study therefore recommends that Media establishments should liaise with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state to ensure that only formally trained journalists work as journalists in their organizations. The study also recommends the need to ensure proper regulation of media ownership in Nigeria to reduce disproportionate concentration of power in the hands of a few wealthy and influential politicians and businesspersons, who use the press as a weapon to protect their political, economic and social interest.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
Media as a watchdog and the mirror of the nation perform crucial roles in the society and as well it is influence in its editorial policy. In trying to understand what mass medians, lazar field and Kendal insist that mass is truly applicable to the medium of radio for it more than other media in reaching all groups of the population uniform’’ but before we proceed with this work, we will include not only the mechanical devices that transmit and sometimes, messages (TV cameras, radio microphones, printing press) but also the institution that use these machines to transmit messages. When we talk about the mass media of television, radio, newspaper, magazine, sound recoding and film, we will be referring to the people, the policies the organization and the technology that go into productions mass communication. Dominick (1987)
For the purpose of courvinence in this work we shall limit the fem. Mass media to those opencast that posses the capacity to reach league audiences simultaneously, this, then leaves us with the television medium, The radio medium, the brokers media. Television media is relatively owner then the radio and point, but it posses peculiar. Characters that place on it a distracter, especially in development orientation the two characteristic often described as TV advantages are the visual and the audience qualification. To gratify assess the performance of television as a means to an end; such factor is the social contest within what communication occurs. It is adequate to wear that in Nigeria, for example, the number of television station sine independence has grown to almost thirty-six stations (both stake, federal and privately owned ones); but these cannot be equaled to exposure and the use of which television programmers have been put to, by Nigerian media audience. Inspire of the above figures that appear encoring, by the third world Nigeria situation is shill a far cry from the UMES Co minima’s standards of mass media establishment and use. UNES Co stipulates that every Country should meet up with what it considers as the minimal standards of mass media demand. Radio is another medium in third world country because it really reaches the masses. In Nigeria for example the use of radio a source of information is truly evidences even among neural dwellers who make up majority of the country’s population (okunna, 1992, sob wale and sogbamu 1984, more 1981). The radio, no doubt is enjoying gather popularity especially among the rural population because of its reach and also because of its bluing earlier to the media scene than television whether reach alone can actually amount to proper use of the radio medium will again call back the issue of the relationship between message dissemination and message reception since radio is widely diffused and readily accessible even in peripheral areas, it can span large audience at low cost. And because it reaches moral rural people in the third world than any other medium. Its potential to bring about increases in knowledge and provide motivation for shift in practices is considerable. And for it to meet media goals, it should be used in such a way that it is close, indeed, very close to the people. A situation where some people are cut off radio reach, as it the case in Nigeria is to san the least unacceptable. In using the radio, there is need for physical decentralization and democratization of the radio media moving the radio media structure to where they can make more direct contort with a greater percentage of the media audience and the ownership should be re-structured to allow for the participatory communication approach to be discussed later in full. Print medium is another part of mass media; it involves printed materials like newspaper, magazine journals, bulletins gazettes books etc. Although the whole range of printed material are important aspects of the print media. The newspaper and the magazines have come to enjoy greater popularity when the print media are considered as means for mass mobilization and development nothing brings out more clearly the importance of newspaper than Jefferson’s preference ‘were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspaper, or newspaper without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter (Jefferson 1987) the earliest forerunner of the modern newspaper originated in china as long as 500 AD. Since then the newspaper has under one a lot of changes to appear in the shape it does to day. The newspaper has also proliferated all over the world.
1.2 Scope of the Study
This study would attempt to explain the mass media, ownership policies and ethical problems of the Nigerian journalist.
1.3 Statement of the Research Problem
Based on the research made, sponsorship of the media house, its control and recruitment of its principal staff have formed the influential factors consequent upon the editorial policy of the media house since the owner(s) of the media house usually does or do the afore-stated factors. The media ownership have therefore in some ways influenced the editorial policy and this has posed problems to journalism as a trade. In this case, the editorial writing has to function with the policy framework and editorial principles. Nothing runs the editor down as having the option of either doing it the way the policy dictates or he resigns or otherwise sacked.
Influence of media ownership on editorial policy have made many newspapers to collapse in operations and have also made them to lose their readership grip. In the case of a Announcer Newspapers, as a privately owned Newspaper, if it does not have so many policies that usually affect its readership except that its front and back page stories are centered on Imo state. Often times, it faces the stiff competition of the national and other local newspapers. Again, people from other state would always see the purchase of the newspaper as a waste since it does not usually spread its tentacles. According to the staff of “Announcer Newspaper”, the publisher (owner) brings to production room when it is already time for production. This delays production of the paper.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
This work is aimed at highly hectoring the ways by which media ownership influences editorial policy of newspaper and ethical problems of Nigeria journalist.
To give same information on the (based on research influence) editorial policy has gone in destroying journalistic principles. Vis-à-vis the consequence of such case.
It would also act as a audit Turing factor and would go as much as proffering solution forwards checking these excises.
1.5 Significance of Study
To use this woke to attract some legislation amends and stop totally about friend, which is not for the good of Nigerian society.
1.6 Research Questions
In this study, an attempt would be sufficiently made to answer the following questions. Does the media ownership factor influence editorial policy of a private (Newspaper) medium? Can the job of the journalism be used to check the influence of media ownership on editorial policy?
1.7 Research Hypotheses
- HI: Media ownership factor influences editorial policy of a private medium.
HO: Media ownership factor cannot influence editorial policy of a private medium. (Like Announcer newspaper). - H2: Job security of the journalist in private newspaper house can be guaranteed.
HO: Job security of the journalist in private newspaper house can not, be guaranteed. H3: Ethics of journalism can be used to check the influence of the media ownership on the editorial policy.
1.8 Definition of Terms
In this area, certain key word will be explained into conceptual and operation definition.
1. Media Ownership Pattern:
The act of seething up or establishing a medium by a person or group of passions and or the government.
2. Editorial Content:
A guide for the publication of stories in newspaper or magazines. It is the path a newspaper elects to follow as it answers the two basic question what shall we publish? How shall we publish?
Chapter Five
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Summary
The broad focus of this study borders on the mass media ownership policies and ethical problems of Nigerian journalist. The study further discussed if the media ownership factor influence editorial policy of a private (Newspaper) medium. It also ascertained whether the job of the journalism be used to check the influence of media ownership on editorial policy.
Survey research design was employed for the study and with aid of convenient sampling selected Thirty-Six (36) participant who are media practitioners and journalist of Newspaper publications in Uyo as the sample size for this study. The sources of data collection was both primary and secondary with the application of questionnaires as an instrument to gather the necessary data. The questionnaires were properly completed as well returned by only 30 respondent after being administered and this was a basis by which the primary data were collected. Primary data collated was analyzed using simple percentage, frequencies and tables and the result were similar to those of the responses drawn from the questionnaires. Hypotheses was tested using Chi-Square statistical tools.
5.2. Conclusion
The concept of “news making” by “news makers” which largely revolves around this same group of people (the ruling elite) and the control they exert both directly and indirectly undermines the ability of the media to on its own perform its agenda setting function. Although ethics in journalism is the symbols of morals that journalists are supposed to uphold. Which consist of a commitment to revealing the truth objectivity without being subjective by self-interest; maintaining the privacy of sources and attributing what is said to the appropriate source.
Finding of the study revealed that the factors that can lead to unethical practices in Nigeria are: poor technical knowledge, conflict of interests, ownership pattern and control, pressure of the market, poor pay, weak professional regulation, and loose organizational policies and control These factors that lead to unethical in journalism field is not only experienced in Nigeria, the problem is similar in many third world countries.
The study further revealed that most journalist are aware of the ethics and principles of journalism, however struggles to maintain professionalism during the practices of journalism. Instead, the media functions to regurgitate the imposed agendas of its owners, their friends and associates and when they fail to do so, job security of the journalist in private newspaper house can be guaranteed. This shows that current media ownership pattern and the level of media control in Nigeria actually hinder the media from independently setting society‟s agenda. Therefore, ethics of journalism can be used to check the influence of the media ownership on the editorial policy.
5.3 Recommendation
Base on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:
- Media establishments should liaise with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state to ensure that only formally trained journalists work as journalists in their organisations.
- Media organizations should make it a matter of priority to organize yearly refresher courses on ethics for their staff.
- Journalism training institutions such as the International Institute of Journalism IIJ should increase the number of ethics-based courses in their curricula in order to make the codes of ethics part of journalists. This will in turn increase the level of adherence to the ethics.
- The NUJ as a matter of urgency should institute a standing disciplinary committee like the National Judicial Council (NJC) that can sanction erring journalist both at the state and national level.
- The study also recommends strongly the need to ensure proper regulation of media ownership in Nigeria to reduce disproportionate concentration of power in the hands of a few wealthy and influential politicians and businesspersons, who use the press as a weapon to protect their political, economic and social interest.


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