Abdur-Rahman Olalekan Olayiwola
Department
of Political Science
Lagos
State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria.
E-mail: nusramurana@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract
Today, an information explosion is taking place in
the world and the mass media of communication increasingly enjoy a position of
considerable importance throughout the globe. This paper on Media and Security
examines the role of mass media of communication in the coverage and reportage
of security matters in particular and in informing, educating, enlightening and
entertaining the populace on societal issues in general. The paper interrogates
the extent to which mass media practitioners have adhered to the professional
journalistic ethics of objectivity, impartiality and balancing in such matters
and also x-rays the multitude of factors impeding the media institutions in
effective communicative crusades. The paper submits that the Mass Media of
Communication in Nigeria operate in the Nigerian State. Therefore, to advance
any scholarly discussion of the Nigerian media, it is paramount to situate the
discourse within the specificity of the Nigerian State and society. The paper
argues that the effectiveness of any political system, how well it handles the
demands of its environment can be measured in terms of its ability and capability
to accurately analyze messages from the environment and effectively transmit
messages which express reactions. The
paper recommends, among a host of other recommendations that the mass media of
communication need to be socially, politically, economically, nationally and
internationally responsible in the way they carry news stories about security
in particular, and the Nigerian Society in general. It also recommends that the
media should take cognizance of the fact that security is not just about the
Army, the Navy, the Air force, the Police, the Customs, the Immigration etc but
also take into account the whole country’s socio-politico-economic systems,
researches and all activities that go into the normal civilian life. Finally,
the mass media should also cover the totality of security sector and security
community, non-statutory security institutions and civil societies, as well as
the internal and international processes that are germane to security and
insecurity issues including the major aspects of regionalization and
globalization of insecurity.
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