Comparative Study of the Performances of Government-Owned and Privately Owned Media Organizations
Chapter One
The aim of the research is to investigate the climate of press freedom in the media environment of public and private organizations. The way to do this research is to analyses the trend in media developments in Nigeria and elsewhere and to investigate the climate of media practice in general. In order to carry out this research the following objectives will be followed.
- To examine the meaning of additional freedom on public and private media organizations.
- To define the extent of state interference in the operations of media organizations.
- To assist in promoting media quality in Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
In almost every country political system and values, journalistic traditions, social values, and culture have always influenced the level of freedom which the media should (or is allowed to) enjoy and what duties and responsibilities the media should have. In some countries, the government may decide to aggressively regulate the conduct of media professionals. These regulations can take different forms and in many cases, the attempt to regulate media behaviour frequently results in violation of journalists‟ right press freedom and freedom of expression in the most extreme manner. In other countries, where the rule of law situation is strong, the media regulates itself through institutions established and managed by the media professionals themselves and media freedom is generally better respected.
These institutions include the press council, Ombudsman NUJ, Editors Guilds etc.
According to Omenugha (2005) Journalism practical by wields such enormous power and calls for the highest standards of ethics and commitments to truth. Ethics and truth journalism have assumed global concern as scholars recognise that their basic constituents of objectivity, accuracy, fairness and balance have merely assumed mythical qualities as journalist battle to Asian credibility to their news stories. Tunchman (1978;2) describes objectivity as „ facticity‟ (A mechanism which allows the journalist to hide even from themselves; the „constructed‟ and „partial‟ nature of their stories). This view seems to have garnered force as increasingly scholars suggest that news even when professionally selected is guided more by organisational needs than by professionalism. The journalist thus become „a walking paradox‟ (Nordenstreng 1995) as one cannot fail to see that journalism is so full of contradictions that “we have to question even the most fundamental dogma of the profession – truth seeking because the way it has been conceived and practiced in journalism series as a deceptive filtering device preventing as much as helping the truth being discovered” (Nordenstreng 1995:117). News commercialization practice in Nigeria media industries adds to this contradiction and deception, creating a continuous dilemma for ethics and objectivity in journalism practice in Nigeria.
SOURCES OF LITERATURE
In this study, the researcher intends to review relevant works already in existence¸ which is related to the study. The sources include textbooks gathered from a number of collection centres that are relevant to the study. The researcher will equally consult journals, magazines¸ newspapers¸ conferences and seminar papers¸ plus internet materials.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Here literatures to be reviewed will be according to subheadings relevant to the study. The growth of radio took different patterns in different countries from 1920. In tropical Africa, Broadcasting began in the early 1930‟s . The initial aim was to provide a service for the European population living in Africa. The BBC provided this service which was intended to establish some link between the United Kingdom and her Colonies. In 1932, the station, (BBC) started the world‟s first regular scheduled short wave services: it was popularly called THE EMPIRE SERVICE (okoye:2008)¸ it made use of a number of monitoring centers overseas. Those centers, one of which was located in Lagos, became the ear and eye of the BBC. The center did not broadcast its own programmes of BBC. Programmes were carried by wires on wooden poles from the monitoring stations to re-diffusion boxes in subscribers homes. It was„‟wired‟‟ rather than „‟wireless‟‟ systems of broadcasting.
Codes Of Ethics For Journalist
In general terms, journalists enjoy protected rights and privileges that ensure the freedom to rights and privileges that ensure the freedom to establish diverse media outlets, to move to public to collect facts and views, to disseminate news and to demand accountability. In turn, journalist must be responsible. They must operate with a clear conscience and transparent objectives.
However, there are times when journalists test the limit of their freedom in the name of defending the public good. The code of conduct observes that journalist must work according to agreed ethical standards of behaviour – based on accuracy, fairness, independence and accountability and as such they are less likely to fall foul of the law. Indeed, codes of ethics ensure that press freedom prevails. Good journalism is in the interest of the public.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher will adopt survey research method which will be based on a personally administered questionnaire. This study of press freedom in Nigeria, comparative analysis of journalists in public and private owned media. It is aimed at discovery to what extent the journalist is the private and public owned media express themselves without consequences.
AREA OF STUDY
The area of the study has to do with the particular location of the study. The area of this research work is Ray power and FRCN Enugu.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Ray power and FRCN both in Enugu formed the population for this study. According to Raypower staff records unit, the total population of staff are 75, for both staff and non-staff while for FRCN, the staff record unit is 153 for both staff and non-staff. Thus, the total population for this study is 225.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS:
In presenting primary data generated from the field, the researcher chooses to apply simple percentage tabular presentation made. This is for convenience, clarify and better understanding. The researcher presents all the questionnaire items that would provide answers to the researchers identified problem. All the presentations shall be according to questionnaire items and responses.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
This is a “comparative study on the extent of freedom of the journalist in government and private owned media”. (A case study of FRCN and Raypower Radio Enugu).
Related literatures were reviewed with emphasis on the historical development of radio broadcasting communication media in Nigeria, National broadcasting Commission and Private ownership of broadcasting history of FRCN and Raypower Radio, audience perception of the media, the role of broadcasting in Nigeria and also the freedom of journalists.
The population of the journalist in FRCN are 75 while those in Raypower are 45 according to the research carried out by the researcher.
The sample size is 150 and all of the 150 questionnaire were given out and received from the respondents. Therefore, 150 questionnaire were used as a measuring instrument.
The data collected through the questionnaire were presented in tables 1 – 13 and analysed.
CONCLUSION
In accordance with the test conducted in chapter four, the following conclusion were reached.
The journalist in government owned media are more free than the journalist in private owned media. That the journalist in government owned media to an extent bring more trusted information that those of the private owned, because if they say more than they are allowed to their license can be seized.
Because of this, source credibility affects broadcasting media and the government owned media have more listeners (FRCN) as their journalists are trusted.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the conclusion drawn above, the researcher hereby recommends the following;
- That more opportunities should be given to the journalists in private owned media i.e. they should be allowed to broadcast what they see or the information they get as long as it is proven to be
- Since it has been identified that source credibility is essential in broadcasting, as it affects the audience believe, so both government and private owned journalists should be given equal rights to broadcast what they see and how it was seen without limit and
- It is necessary that similar studies on this topic be concluded so that sufficient literature will be made available for comparison in order to reach a concrete
- Since this is dealing with the broadcast media ownership and its performance in Nigeria, further studies on this topic should not be restricted and two, the number of media to be sampled should be increased to generalised the true picture of broadcast media activities in Nigeria.
- Enough finance that is money must be made available to the researchers so as to enable them study or sample more media practitioners across the
- Further studies should be conducted within sufficient time to make allowance for study‟s findings and objective
References
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