Mass media in Nigeria
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Mass media in Nigeria has an interesting and long history.
Media culture
Historically, Nigeria has boasted the most free and outspoken press of any African country, but also one which has consistently been the target of harassment by the past military dictatorships. Many agents of Nigeria press have been imprisoned, exiled, tortured, or murdered as a result, among them being Ogoni activist and television producer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed for treason by order of the Sani Abacha dictatorship in 1995 (resulting in the expulsion of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations and sanctions from abroad).
Even under the somewhat less-oppressive current civilian government, journalists have continued to come under fire, be it from the government (as with the June 2006 arrest of Gbenga Aruleba and Rotimi Durojaiye of
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Media corruption
Brown envelope journalism in Nigeria is a practice whereby monetary inducement is given to journalists to make them write a positive story or kill a negative story.[1] The name is derived from cash inducements hidden in brown envelopes and given to journalists during press briefings. It is a common practice in Nigeria and many journalists do know that it is unethical.[2] One of the effects is that the Nigerian media has become a hotbed for sponsored stories.
Mediums
Newspapers
Until the 1990s most publications were government-owned, but private papers such as the Nigerian Tribune, The Punch, Vanguard, and the Guardian continued to expose public and private scandals.[3] Laws related to the media, including newspapers, are scattered across various pieces of legislature. There are few good sources of discussion and analysis of these laws.[4]
An analysis of newspapers shows a strong bias towards coverage of males, reflecting prevalent cultural biases. Few articles discuss women and there are few photographs of women outside the fashion sections.[5] Although earnings have declined since the late 1980s the number of publications has steadily grown. As of 2008 there were over 100 national, regional or local newspapers.[3]
Radio and television
While newspapers (and, most recently, blogging) have long thrived in Nigeria, radio and television has not received as much recognition, due to limited resources and press restrictions which beset the establishment of radio or television services in Nigeria. However, such limitations have since been improved in order to reach larger audiences both within and without Nigeria, such as with the growth of satellite television. The BBC World Service as well as the Voice of America and the German broadcasting organization Deutsche Welle (DW) also provide shortwave radio in the Hausa language.
Most viewed channels]
Position | Channel | Share of total viewing (%) |
---|---|---|
1 | AM Family | 10.4 |
2 | AIT | 6.5 |
3 | AM Showcase | 6.0 |
4 | Silverbird TV | 5.4 |
5 | TVC Entertainment | 5.0 |
6 | M-Net | 4.9 |
7 | Galaxy TV | 3.3 |
8 | AM Yoruba | 1.9 |
9 | WAP TV | 1.4 |
10 | KAFTAN TV | 1.0 |
Internet sites
Virtually all Nigerian newspapers have an internet presence; in addition, there are several websites which are dedicated to allowing Nigerians to air their opinions on a variety of topics.
See also
- Elite advertisement in Nigeria
- List of Nigerian newspapers
- Telecommunications in Nigeria
- Cinema of Nigeria
References
- ^ Goodluck Kalu Nsi. "BROWN ENVELOPE SYNDROME AND THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA" (PDF). International Interdisciplinary Journal of Scientific Research. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ^ BBC Africa. "Nigeria's 'brown envelope' journalism". BBC.
- ^ a b Sriramesh & Verčič 2009, pp. 324.
- ^ Mwalimu 2005, pp. 656.
- ^ Poindexter & Meraz 2008, pp. 220ff.
Bibliography
- Segun Oduko (1987). "From Indigenous Communication to Modern Television: A Reflection of political Development in Nigeria".
- Olumuyiwa Ayodele (1988). "Objectivity, Sycophancy and the Media Reality in Nigeria". Africa Media Review. 3 (1) – via Michigan State University Libraries, African e-Journals Project.
- ISBN 9781134261260.
- "Nigeria: Directory: Broadcasting and Communications". Africa South of the Sahara 2003. Regional Surveys of the World. ISSN 0065-3896.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-1001-1.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-6316-3. (Includes information about newspapers, radio, TV, etc.)
- "Nigeria", OCLC 57509361