Role of media in democratic society?

Answer 1

Scorekeeping, Watchdog, Gatekeeping

Answer 2

Democracies require an enlightened citizenry. The media can air different opinions and provide a level of education on the various issues. Such education is essential to a well functioning democracy, but it is the responsibility of the democratic citizen to expose themselves to several different viewpoints.

Answer 3

Though before the advent of the mass media, communication already existed only within a limited confine. By the dawn of the 19th century, the mass media began to emerge, the face of communication art of passing or disseminating information to a large audience. This goes to say that Mass Communication makes communicating with a large number people simultaneously possible.

The mass media have exerted enormous power and influence on the people that mass media have become part of their every day life. Some people prefer to listen to radio, watch television or read newspapers, magazines before laying their hands on anything. Imagine how you will fill when you wake up one morning, tune the radio or television or search for a newspaper, but could not get hold of any. How would you know the happenings within, outside and inside your environment without the media? Would you have heard of Obama without the media? How would you know about the policies or programmes of the government of the day without the media or how would have government been relevant to the people without the media?

Thomas Jeferson once said, "I will prefer to run the media without the government than to run the government without the media". Mass media are those channels or ways through which information are disseminated to a large, heterogeneous, scattered and amorphous audience who receive the message simultaneously. mass media are classified into two parts, print media, which includes; book, newspaper, magazine and electronic or broadcast media which comprise of film, radio, television and internet.

As an element of increasing importance in the political life of every civil society, especially with the increasing democratization of nation's policy, there is multiplicity of linkage between the mass media, the society and its politics, their activities and influence taking from the pre and post world war period to this present era ofcommunication technology explosion, the mass media have proven to be veritable instruments for political mobilization.

The media now are creating awareness both for immediate environment and outside the world. It is worthy to note that the mass media do not only create awareness as well as serving as a means for expression of ideas but they are social force to be reckoned with and a vehicle for mobilization.

However, the mass media play a watch dog role in any society to keep surveillance on the government.

Infact, it is major tool since the mass media work for good relation between the rulers and the ruled.

The media perform this effective role in a democratic era, for instance, the mass media in 2003 election performed this role starting from the operations, agitations against malpractices in the election by the masses and other political candidates were as a result of information received by the media.

Through this, they get knowledge of the happening in the national assemblies. Different bills pertaining to the election are reported to police, the parliamentary reports also take feedback to the government to affect changes or correction when ever it is necessary.

Nevertheless, no matter how laudable a government considers its policies to be, the relevance of its activities need to be mobilized, gingered up for the achievement of national or societal aims and goals, and this can hardly take place without the mass media.

It therefore suffices to say that the mass media have a special role to play in gender issues and also in promoting or encouraging political participation. The mass media are not only to cover the campaigns and provide unbiased information to the public but they have been assigned the job of interpreting the campaigns and living the political choices at state. The media also promote gender equality among women. They do this through media programmes, organizing seminars and conferences such as, "Today's women and women in focus. The media do this with the purpose of showcasing the women and showing them a sense of belonging in the society. The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), for instance, presents women discuss their problems in the society and proffer solution to those problems.

The media are equally alarmed and tend to moblize the people against the activities of the self appointed "God fathers" and their estranged political "godsons". The guardian of April 3, 2005, 8-9, showcased the discordant tunes in the policy especially of the Eastern states. Precisely, between Governor Mbadinuju of Anambra State and one Emeka Offor and that of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State and Jim Nwobodo. The press indeed had been prophetic in their political sensitization role in informing the people before hand, of the likely show of shame of such unwholesome political union would lead to.

Mass Media perform agenda-setting function, which focus on the idea that people desire media assistance in determining political reality. But not only focusing attention on certain issues but by placing much emphasis on them at the expense of others, the people come to know what to talk and think about.

Answer 4

MEDIA IN DEVELOPMENT - Development refers to a change process geared at improving or making better, the life and environment of man. Dudley Sears (1985), posited that development involves the creation of opportunities for the realization of human potentialities. Where the media comes in development process is through what is called "development communication". This is the type of communication which is consciously packaged by the sender such that the message content or the information sent could persuade, encourage or convince the receiver or target audience to adopt an attitude and participate in actualizing a development plan or goal. At certain instances, the message sent aims at making the target audience adopt a positive attitudinal change towards a development purpose.

DEVELOPMENT MEDIA THEORY - Development media theory began from the agenda -setting theory espoused by Mc. Combs and Shaw (1972), which stated that the media tells us not what to think but what to think about. In other words, the amount of attention given to an issue in the press affects the level of importance assigned to that issue by the mass media audience. The main thrust of Agenda Setting theory is that though media may not completely change ones point of view on particular issue, it tends to change his perception of what is good. That is to say in simple terms, the fact about the inherent influencing power of media, makes it to be seen and applied as important instrument in developmental policies.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ROLE OF MEDIA - Basically, the media are described as performing three functions or roles of information, education and entertainment.

These are the conventional social functions the media render to the public, but which is equally applicable in broader sense in national development pursuit. It could be said that through educating, informing and entertaining, the media thereby make the society, society members or the nation as well as the leadership of the very society, aware of the importance and need to undertake certain process or processes of national development. Also attached to these three basic roles of media is another role of persuasion, where media are seen as virile tools of applying persuasive efforts to influence people's actions towards a particular direction. The mass media are therefore seen for their role in furnishing the public with necessary information to achieve development or change goals.

These roles of media in national development lie in their capacity and capability to teach, manipulate, sensitize and mobilize people through information dissemination - (Ucheanya 2003, as cited by Chinenye Nwabueze). The media also chart a course for the public in line with the agenda setting theory, thereby creating in the minds of the people, issues that should be viewed as priority issues including development programmes and policies - (Nwabueze, 2005). Instances of this role being presently played by media in Nigeria is the general millennium goal pursuit towards the year 2015, as proposed by the United Nations and incorporated as national policy by governments of member countries around the world.

Policies of the millennium goal touch on different aspects of health, education, children and women and the likes. The programme could also be said to be part of the globalization pursuit to which any nation left out in its pursuance and implementation stands the possibility of being alienated in the comity of nations. Though not free of some propagandist motives, health issues such as the HIV/AIDS, Polio Immunization and The H5N1 Bird Flu Virus issue became the leading stories disseminated by the media. Other related issues include wars, famine, women and children health and rights as well as democratization activities receive prominence and greater attention from the media. Another instance of developmental role by Nigerian media was the recent killing of the unconstitutional move to install a third term government by the recent past President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as the contribution by the media towards making Nigerians to come out and vote during the Aril 2007 general elections, in order to enable a successful transition from civilian to another civilian rule, the first time in history of the country. Although there were crisis of election rigging and malpractices along the transitional course, yet the media remained dutiful by avoiding actions that could have derailed the entire motive of the transition.

Other roles of media in national development include -

1) The media leads to formation of attitude through establishing of values for the society or nation and thereby building a climate of change in the society or nation. According to Alade Odunewu as cited by Yakasai A.S. 1996, this involves the dissemination of news and information in response to a basic human need, which is the "right to know".

2) Protection of Social Justice is another role of media in national development, in that the media are not only expected to record, compose or report account of events and stories just as the historians do, but the media are also expected to analyze issues and facts contained in the news, in line with the need and interest of Social Justice. Dr. Stanley Machebu pointed here that the press "are subordinate to a far higher goal: the goal of ensuring that public and private conduct is directed towards the greatest possible measure of justice, in society".

3) In order to ensure a peaceful national coexistence and progress, the media have before them the task of discouraging such negative issues as ethnicity, Dictatorship in leadership like the military rule and of course discourage embezzlement of public funds, as it is the disturbing trend presently indulged by politicians occupying positions of responsibilities and related public officers in Nigeria. Perhaps if the media in Nigeria were carrying out or were allowed to ideally carry out their function of investigating facts and announcing them to the public, the recent scenario whereby some ex-governors which include Saminu Turaki of Jigawa state, Orji Uzo Kalu of Abia, Joshua Dariye of Plateau and Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu and the likes who were arrested by the anti graft commission, the EFCC for alleged money laundering and embezzlement might not have happened.

Machebu S. as cited by Yakasai A.S. 1996, stated - "The press in Nigeria can never properly claim to be discharging any significant responsibility if it fails to consistently describe if not denounce, the countless ways in which the pursuit of wealth corrupts the polity and Compromises our future".

4) The responsibility of informing people about development projects and programmes is another major role of media to national development. Such programmes designed and proposed by policy makers could be entirely new to the people at whom they need to be enlightened, educated and mobilized by the media.

Instances of such programmes are the Universal Basic Education (U.B.E.), the Nomadic Education, Girl-Child Education, Adult Education, Fighting Drug Addiction and Trafficking and for instance, a nationwide campaign towards boosting agriculture and food production.

5) Offering solutions to problems is another developmental role of the media, in that they are not only expected criticize government officials and condemn their actions, but also as watchdogs of the society, they should review, analyze, appraise or criticize, as the case may be, activities of government agencies and programmes such as the Re-capitalization of banks and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), with a view to offering solutions in the areas where they are failing or lacking and suggest ways to their rectification.

The media in Nigeria ought to use this function of offering solution to encourage leaders to always stick to budgetary provisions and avoid indulging in extra budgetary spending, which leads to embezzlement of public funds. In connection to this, Bajuwade D. 1987, as cited by Yakasai A.S. 1996,reasoned - "This day and age demands pungent writing that does not stop at picking up all the peccadilloes and mote in other peoples' eyes, but in addition, offers its own alternatives, put forward its own ideas and submits well considered solutions to problems it highlights".

PROBLEMS RESTRICTING DEVELOPMENTAL ROLE OF MEDIA Few among the numerous obstacles to objective media reporting and progressive functions of the media are: -

1) Restrictions from the so-called "state security" laws and decrees tend to prevent full rights of expression and writing or broadcasting the facts as they are - by "calling a spade a spade".

2) Lack of adequate remuneration and protection for media practitioners by the media managers often lead to suppressing of facts and succumbing to collection of gratification (the notorious brown envelope syndrome) in order for the reporters to have their ends met or pay for transportation and facilities for sending their stories.

3) Crossing the interests of media owners or proprietors is another problem whereby executives of government owned media prefer to have their lead story carrying big portrait of the governor or president on the TV screen or front page of Newspaper in order to maintain their position in office. On the other hand, private media owners often have governors, ministers and commissioners friends, at which the helpless reporter willing to report facts or expose an act of dishonesty committed by any of these people could not have his story published or aired because it crosses their (media owners) personal interests. As regards to this, Oduyela S. 1996, pointed out - "Ogbeni Lanre had recently approached an editor of one of the new generation Newspapers in Lagos on his article on Mr. Gbenga Daniel, governor of Ogun state; the editor out rightly told Ogeni Lanre that he would not publish the article because Gbenga Daniel is his friend" Odulaye went further thus - "Journalism in Nigeria has now shifted from its position as the watchdog to collaborator in killing of a nation through misinformation and covering up for dishonest public office holders. It is no more a news that editors and publishers call ministers and governors to inform them of stories about them and the possibility of killing it".

4) Lack of self censorship is also a problem militating against objective and developmental output by Nigerian media. The media are seen as good in criticizing others but scarcely do they criticize themselves in terns of observing the code of ethics of the profession. While a section of the media engages in bitter criticism and harassment of those in position of power to earn their recognition, others stoop down to paying cheap lip service to the authorities that be with a view to gain gratifications. It could be said that while the former case could fetch charges of defamation in the court of law, the later could expose the practitioner to ridicule and debasement.

CONCLUSION It should be understood the relevance of media in almost all spheres of human endeavour cannot be overemphasized, more so in the area of National Development, as equally reasoned by organizers of this discussion forum, LEAP Africa. Also the exigent need for good governance, responsible and accountable leadership goes hand in hand with the need for active role of strong and equally disciplined media towards enlightening, mobilizing and sensitizing both the public and the stakeholders in this concern. It should also be understood the impossibility of having totally unbiased media, because even in the developed European countries, media were seen for conducting opinion polls or making comments that favour certain political parties or candidates. However, the conscience of the media itself needs reorientation to shed off characteristics of the ravaging societal malaise which in some ways, affect the media themselves.

In relation to this, Sogolo G. 1995 pointed out "The role of information in our National Development is no longer a matter of dispute. And as we have argued, information is useful if only it is properly disseminated" Sogolo further stated - "In a plural and diverse society such as Nigeria, we need an information order built on cordial relationship between the state and the media, between leadership and follower ship, between the elite and the people at the grassroots level. In all this, the media have an important role to play, always taking into consideration the socio cultural conditions under which they operate, but without loosing sight of the universal commitments of the profession.