ROLE OF NIGERIAN MASS MEDIA IN ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGNS
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ROLE OF NIGERIAN MASS MEDIA IN ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGNS
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background for the Study
Concerns over Nigeria’s ability to organise a peaceful general election in 2015 have dominated the work of governance, peace, and security sector practitioners and policymakers for some years.
The dominating debate among Nigerian and foreign actors focusses on the acts (and inaction) of major stakeholders such as Nigeria’s ruling and opposition political parties, mass media and civil society, and the international community.
Nigeria’s impending elections are critical, with the potential to make or break the country’s democracy, jeopardise its peace and security, and, as a result, the stability of the West African region and continent.
The history of elections in Nigeria has provided us with an excellent opportunity to evaluate the various functions of the media in the Nigerian political process within the context of our national political aim.
The issue of education, information, mobilisation, and monitoring has become a critical aspect in achieving national goals in the context of the electoral process.
In a democratic society, the government’s primary goal would be to support people’s fundamental human rights while also providing leadership for societal progress and development. Thus, media systems in democratic countries have the freedom to report on any problem as long as it does not violate the rights of the people or the state.
Every country’s sovereign power lies in its state. As a result, in an authoritarian society in which the government seeks to preserve the state’s political philosophy at the expense of citizens’ rights and liberties, the media would find it difficult to report on issues where the government’s interests differ from the people’s hopes and expectations.
African countries are some of the world’s rising democratic societies. As a result, the media has a responsibility to ensure that African leaders uphold democratic ideals and values in government.
The 2015 Nigerian presidential campaigns were extensively covered by all forms of media, but television stood out due to the presentations that piqued Nigerians’ emotions.
By displaying and informing the sensitive general public about some of the campaign proceedings, which took the form of advertisements, public lectures, media briefings, campaign tours, courtesy visits to prominent citizens, musical concerts, and so on, the medium justified its value as one with the greatest potential to fulfil the media’s core functions.
Its contribution to the nation in this regard was outstanding, as the medium’s ability to consistently offer Nigerians with a new menu of active political warfare insured, to some extent, an informed voter.
However, the 2015 election campaign did not meet the desired standards. Political campaigns were perceived as a misuse of the media by political parties and their candidates, with unwholesome information being published or transmitted to the public as truth. The broadcast media lent itself to the majority of the worst aspects of Nigerian politics and became politicised.
Most broadcast media outlets sided with one politician, political party, or region over another. They served as spokespeople for some of the political parties with which they are affiliated. This posture did not allow for impartiality, fairness, or justice in carrying out their public responsibilities. Edogbo (1999) attributed this act to the media ownership structure and the owner’s interaction with the political system.
It is widely assumed that most media owners with political ties hinder their outlets from adhering to the core ideals of balance, fairness, and objectivity.
Though various political parties were vying for power, the primary battle was between the ruling party (Peoples Democratic Party) and the main opposition (All Progressives Congress) in the box. Both engaged in indiscretions, putting etiquette and decency aside.
The campaigners used hate language, and their supporters rioted and clashed violently. These and other features of Nigerian politics are widely recognised (Nwokocha 2007), but the purpose of this study was to determine how television reports, newspapers, and billboards were used as campaign tools by President Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.
This level of unprofessionalism impedes the development of a healthy political culture in the country. According to Agba (2007), broadcast media should internalise the concept of public interest when carrying out their roles in any election process. In this regard, the media is supposed to set the tone for a healthy election process while simultaneously serving the public interest.
This can be accomplished by directing electioneering campaigns towards the ideal objective of responsible democratic norms that acknowledge the sovereignty of the people’s votes.
Nwaozuzu (1997) recommends the media to search for relevant truths in election campaigns for those who are unable to observe or comprehend the events that impact them.
This means that the media should interpret campaigns based on the people’s electoral demands. It is also up to the media to direct the political process towards the ideal aim of national development.
To support this notion, Kalu (1985) asserts that “the ordinary expectation is that the mass media will focus on serious issues that portend serious consequences for the people and their political choices.”
Finally, the media, through its commentaries, editorials, articles, reviews, columns, and broadcast discussion forums, must always strive to ask and answer significant questions that will shed light on complex situations, particularly those involving policies and leadership. This study explored the influence of Nigerian mass media in electioneering campaigns, using the 2015 general elections as a case study.
1.2 Statement of Problem
The impact of Nigerian media on election coverage in Nigeria from the pre-independence era to the present has garnered significant attention from both social scientists and media scholars in Nigeria. The margin between coverage and media type may be large, yet the aim appears to be relatively similar.
During the pre-independence era, newspapers and radio were the only forms of media and information delivery. Politicians and their party affiliates dominate the media during election campaigns. The newspapers’ front pages were particularly popular for reporting news about the candidates and where they stood in the polls.
Their images and statements made headlines, while their agenda appealed to party lines and voters, few of whom could read and write. It has become critical to investigate the extent to which these principles of human rights have been upheld in the context of Nigerian politics and media practice, particularly in the field of democratic elections. It should be remembered that discussions on democracy are meaningless without the right to receive and transmit knowledge exists.
1.3 Research Questions.
The following are some of the questions that this study aims to answer:
i) What impact did mass media have on the 2015 general election?
ii) What is your opinion of the broadcast media’s coverage of election campaigns during the 2015 General Elections?
iii) How prevalent was mass media during Nigeria’s 2015 general election?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The primary goal of this study was to analyse the function of Nigerian mass media in political campaigns. The precise aims include:
i) To determine the impact of mass media in the 2015 general election.
ii) To determine the perception of broadcast media’s coverage of electioneering campaigns during the 2015 general elections.
iii) To determine the prevalence of mass media in the 2015 general election in Nigeria.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study was conducted to evaluate the function of Nigerian mass media in electioneering campaigns, using the 2015 general elections as a case study. Its goal was to determine the impact of Nigerian mass media on the 2015 general election.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The goal of this study was to demonstrate the significant role that mass media plays on national politics. It therefore addressed journalists, politicians, electorates, students, broadcast stations, and the general public.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The study’s only restriction was a lack of access to many respondents, such as politicians, journalists, and broadcast stations, who were too busy to attend the interview.
1.8 Definitions for Terms
The following terms were utilised throughout this study:
Electioneering campaigns are the act or practice of collecting support or votes for a specific political party or candidate during an election.
Newspapers, radio, and television are examples of mass media.
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