By
Igbadoo Aondongu
Nigeria
as a developing country practices democracy which has executive, legislative
and judiciary as organs of government. The fourth estate of the realm is next
to the judiciary and this comprises the broadcast, print and online media
organizations.
These
media have a lot responsibilities ranging from surveillance function (watchdog
of the society), agenda setting, preservation of culture, informing and
educating among many others. If these responsibilities are effectively carried
out by the media, it will help develop the country. As a watch dog of the
society, the media is duty bound to oversee the functions of the three organs
of government and the society at large. This is done by pointing out the rights
and wrongs in the society and thereby exposing the perpetrators of the wrong
deeds. The media also determine what the masses think and talk of. If the media
is setting the right agendas, the society will be filled with right thoughts
and that will help develop the nation. One who thinks rightly, acts rightly,
giving out the right information to the people and educating them on the right
things to do will go a long way imbibing good habits in the development of the
country.
Why
is the mass media failing? The mass media has failed and continues to fail in carrying
out its duties in various ways. Thomas Thompson, the USA former president said
he preferred the mass media to the government, this is an indication on how
significant and powerful the mass media is in the development of every society
and nation. Information is power therefore, the persons who control information
are determinants of the success of their society. The emergence of new concepts
like news commercialized, censorship, citizen journalism and program
sponsorship among others are hindrances to the effective performance of the
mass media in Nigeria. Unprofessionalism is the order of the day in media
houses. People without the knowledge of journalism practice it and to an extent
own media organizations unlike the legal profession where only professionals
practice it.
The
dictum, the man who plays the piper detects the tone has come to stay. News
commercialization is the trend in media houses, the determinant of news is the
ability for one to pay. Only those who can afford to pay money to media organizations
are brought on news. This is a country where criminals are celebrated by the
mass media. They come with their false stories to cover up their wrong deeds on
the media. The evolvement of the internet has benefits to the mass media but
yet is a threat. Citizen journalism is where people without journalism
knowledge turn journalist on the internet. This has a lot of negative effects
to the society. Another impeding factor to effective performance of the media
is censorship. Media contents are controlled by those in the herms of affairs
and these are the same people the media is supposed to monitor. The national
broadcasting corporation which is supposed to be an independent body is
controlled by the bourgeoisies. How can the media effectively function in such scenarios.
No
sector can facilitate the development of a country like the mass media. If our
media can wake up to their responsibilities, our country will be better than
what we have now. The practice of journalism should be left in the hands of
professionals as well as ownership of media organizations as it is done in legal
profession. This will help immensely to eliminating the Unprofessionalism in
journalism. Media censorship should be discouraged in all ramifications to
curve the menace of unprofessionalism in the practice of journalism. More so,
the national broadcasting corporation should be allowed to exercise their
independency devoid of external interference. If, the mass media would wake up
to their responsibilities, Nigeria will be great. so let's all support the mass
media for a developed nation.
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