MEDIA AND THE MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
From all indications, it has become obvious that the mass media has a great role to play in the management of human rights abuse in Nigeria, taking into cognizance their role in the society which includes surveillance of the society, correlation of the various ideas and transmission of the various interplay of ideas amongst the different segment of society. This is where the mass media’s role comes into play. In that they (populace ) are better enlightened about their rights and privileges as citizens of Nigeria; so that as a people they can ultimately know what ought to be and what ought not to be. And the government also will be better positioned to its roles as custodian of the people as government is meant for the benefit of the greater good of the people, that is respecting the rights and liberties of individuals as citizens of this great country Nigeria. Unless and except the mass media lives up to its responsibilities, it cannot and will not be an effective tool in the management of human right abuse in Nigeria. Finally, we acknowledge the contribution and understanding of the members of the group, working together has been a wonderful experience and for every other person who contributed one way or other, God bless you all. Amen.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………1
- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY……………………1
- STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS…………………………2
- OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY………………………4
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY……………………5
- RESEARCH QUESTIONS………………………………6
- RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS……………………………6
- DEFINITION OF TERMS………………………………7
- ASSUMPTION OF STUDY……………………………9
- SCOPES AND LIMITATIONS OF STUDY…………10
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
- THE REVIEW…………………………………………12
- SECRIONALISM AND MASS MEDIA PRACTICE IN NIGERIA………………………………………………15
- MEDIA FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NIGERIA………………………………………………20
- CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
- INTRODUCTION………………………………………30
- RESEARCH METHOD………………………………30
- RESEARCH DESIGN…………………………………31
- RESEARCH SAMPLE…………………………………32
- DATA COLLECTION…………………………………32
- METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS……………………33
APPENDIX 1. QUESTIONNAIRE…………………………35
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION…………………40
DATA ANALYSIS…………………………………………40
PRESENTATION OF RESULT…………………………41
DISCUSSION……………………………………………59
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
- SUMMARY………………………………………….64
- RECOMMENDATION…………………………………66
BIBILOGRAPHY…………………………………………….68
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The political entity called Nigeria has continued since independence under one form to the other. Especially with military rulers who have had to be rule through decrees thus suspending the constitution that guarantees the citizenry their fundamental human rights.
It there makes it obvious that the basis for government, which is for the ultimate good of the people, is defeated when their rights are not guaranteed. And indeed authoritarian rule has not helped human right issues, as abuse has been recorded time and again even in the mass media bizarre manner. This is where the mass media comes into focus , as through it, the government and the governed are better be informed about their various privileges and limitation as it is entrenched in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, albeit only under a democratically elected government.
The mass media serves as the cornerstone of any progress in the society both economically and politically. And, because it serves as an essential ingredients in the successful management of human right abuse all over the world. It is therefore that their role as societal watchdogs should not be abandoned for some mundane issue.For a society that it’s citizens cannot be guaranteed the protection of their fundamental human rights cannot be said to be free in the real sense of the word.
The mass media has always been a channel through which human right abuses has been exposed to the public. But there are times human right abuses have been quite intractable for the mass media to manage either due to tribal or religious sentiment or outright ownership interference. In such cases, the citizens whose rights have been abuses are unfortunately given the short end of the stick. The mass media should be able to effectively manage the issues of human right abuses as they unfold in the society. Considering the fact that they most times set the agenda for public discourse. They should in the process to be able distinguish what should be known and what should not be known.
Expect in that case, they want to leave the role of agenda setting to the government; which is this case means that the people are indolent and as Plato stressed “they look up to the leaders of the state to say what goes”. Despite the inability of the mass media to at times manage human right abuses in Nigeria, they have at other times pre – empted the activities of human right groups in the past, thus, leading to clampdown on members of the groups.
