THE influence of the media in the political development in Nigeria dates back to the pre-Independent era when the nationalists relied on the few available media to fight against the colonialists.
It would be absolutely correct to say that the press in Nigeria also serves as part of the history of Nigeria nationalism. It is generally agreed that the evolution and development of the Nigeria Mass Media correlates highly with the fundamental political change and development in the country
The history of mass media begins with the origin of man and his struggle for personal liberty and political freedom on which the freedom to write and express one self depends. The media especially the print media struggled until 1700 to win more right to write. They had to fight for another century to protect the liberty and to win two other basic rights that is the right to criticize and the right to report. The readership of the print media has swollen from small privileged elites to millions, the only qualification being the ability to pay for the product and willingness to read. It is unfortunate that this days any politician with some loose money (ill gotten wealth) will set up his own media outfits for the sole objective of pulling down credible public figures for selfish political reason without setting minimum standard of qualifications and code of conduct for those manning them.
It is pertinent to note that the constitutionally assigned duty of a journalist is to inform, educate and serve as watchdog of the society. Borrowing the words of Lasisi Ologunju, Newspapers are market place of ideas not of lies and half –truths. They are to make the readership better informed. It is paramount to note that the federal, state and Local Government, Chief Executives, Ministers, Commissioner see public broadcast media as organs for the propagation of their political and party interest.
“We are experiencing communication explosion in an era in which Carmel drivers and road labourer performed their task in the company of Transistors receivers, in which the fish wife fight boredom with the occasional glance at the society page and in which exposure to the news is an expectation among the literate and the politically conscious”. On the viability or state of mass media in Nigeria, some writers complained about the dismal lacking information.
Most importantly, mass media are the vehicles that carry messages in enhancing the democratic system in Nigeria political development. We must be aware that politics is the game of power acquisition and the use of such power to enhance the governance of the state and influence the authoritative allocation of resources in the society.
However the most fundamental factor or element which underlines the concept of development whether it’s political, social or economic connotation is the notion of change.
Political system undergo fundamental changes which may refers to various aspect of development and these may provide a useful basis for measuring or comparing political system or a continuum of development. Every political system is faced with certain types of problem or crisis to which it is compelled to respond one way or the other. According to Claude Ake, “Political development occurs when the political system successfully addresses these problems which include legitimacy, crisis, participation crisis, identify crisis, distribution crisis and integration crisis.
Continuing in this vein we find that political development may look beyond a capacity to solve problem, to the creation of institutions to perform this task to something more dynamic. The question we must ask is; how far should the media go in the pursuit of justice, fairness and equity for the society? And how should the press relate to the public.
Thomas Jefferson on assuming the seat of President in the United States had thought that the media work according to the books and went on to say that:
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the later.
But immediately, he argued governmental experience, he could not but decide that;
“The man who looks into newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, in as much as he who knows nothing is nearer to trust than he whose mind is filled with falsehood and errors”. So the idea is that the organs of the mass media have a crucial role to play in promoting development in all aspects of any economy. It helps in nation building, teaching necessary skills and roles in governance. Mass communication, mass media are the culture that shapes us in bringing meaningful development to the people.
Jakande Lateef, a veteran journalist has argued that the Press is more important than the other functions of government for none of them has so ramifying an influence and great a power on the daily lives of millions of people.
And talking about ownership of the media, if the government owns the media, the saying that he who plays the piper dictates the tune will militate against the media playing her noble roles effectively for they will like to impress the government because it owns it and dictates what goes on in it.
Considering the hurdle some politicians will jump after the April 28th and March 11th general elections in Nigeria, central to the electoral matters and good governance in political development is the role of the media in this fascinating society of ours. How far should the media go in the pursuit of justice, fairness and equity for the society?