Problems and Prospects of Government Owned Broadcasting Media in Nigeria

The government owned broadcasting media in its very best has played a significant role in shaping democratic society like ours.

Unfortunately too, it has undermined the very professional ethics that guides broadcasting media. One of such disturbing issues has been that of partisanship, and most often it is one-sided, their reportage is always in favour of the power blog.

At times too, they are prejudiced in their reportage where they acted as sycophantic megaphone. Take for example the print media, which sometimes tries to be balanced in its reportage and sometimes criticized the government with a view to redirect the action of government for the betterment of the Nigerian society is not given the enabling environment to practice the profession without fear or favour.

Government is lacking in its efforts to sustain the Nigerian media. That is why most of what we read on the pages of newspapers watch and hear from the government owned radio and television stations is not what the government wants published.

Kudos to the advent of online or social media for living up to expectations, otherwise, Nigerian media would have been hijacked completely by the so called heavy political weight in Nigerian society.

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 What are the functions of broadcasting media then?

The function of the broadcasting media primarily is that of informing the members of the public about the activities of government and its various achievements.

A registered media outfit is to tell the truth just as it is, as well as disseminate this same truth to the members of the public. Such truth should be reliable.

Informing, educating, sensitizing and enlightening the members of the public are secondary. Sadly, government owned media in Nigeria only sent out information selected by the ruling class.

They decide which information is to be published and which one is not to be published. And the unfortunate situation is that, media practitioners have directly or indirectly succumbed to the dictate of these money bags politicians.

Their truth is half-truths, detailed information can only be published when such stories are not political, and when there is no need to criticize the wrong doings of the ruling powers, this is a very unfortunate situation. Where is the principle that guides the practice of journalism?

Why do they in most cases, praise the ruling class when it is not necessary, could this unbecoming practices on the part of journalists a result of the economy recession in the country?

What is the ruling class in the other hand up to? I think it is time for media practitioners to defend their profession, report the truth as it were without fear of the political heavy weight or favour of the government.

The meaning of broadcasting media

Broadcasting media is that aspect of media that send out signals to receive information through some media channels.

Channels such as radio station, television station among others are some channels in broadcasting media through which, program on these channels are sent to a greater number of persons.

But when it is owned by government these programs are controlled and selected by the government.

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The meaning of broadcasting

Broadcasting is a method of sending out information to the air through radio and television set to be received by large number of people via a set of appropriate facilities put together for broadcasting purposes.

Prospects of government owned broadcasting media in Nigeria

1. Keeping the public abreast of government activities

Government owned broadcasting media over time, has informed, educates and enlightened members of the public on government programs, government activities, as well as the achievements of government in line with government promises of a better society and protection of life and properties of the Nigerian citizenry.

The government owned broadcasting media do also sensitized members of the public on the expectation of the government from the governed, it entertained members of the public, and as well disseminate  information, which in turn stimulates in members of the public a sense of patriotism and co-operation, which inspired them to contribute their quota to the nation building hence, empowered the public to hold the government accountable of their actions in keeping to the tenets of democratic governance.

It reportage is nothing but the truth, and this true is the cord that bines the society together, and not disintegrates the society.

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Problems of government owned broadcasting media in Nigeria

1. Propaganda dissemination

The brunt of government owning and controlling broadcasting media is of great worry to the Nigerian citizenry. The government however, did own broadcasting media anyplace, even to the point of wielding power and control over the media.

The singular reason of exercising control over broadcasting media is not to take advantage of the media but for the purpose of maneuver it as a megaphone to tell the government part of story in a manner that is constructive to it or the way it wants it.

More questions have followed the conduct in which most state owned media institutes are handling the objectivity of media reportage.

In government owned broadcasting media, the government settles on what to be aired and what not to be aired. Government owned media are lost in thought of disseminating propaganda, which in most cases, are to the disadvantage of the opposition and in expense of the general public.

The bad information is that, members of the public are now taking the news aired by government owned broadcasting media with jokiness.

Conclusion and suggestion

Broadcasting media, in any democratic society, played tremendous role in galvanizing the sense of oneness, patriotism, unity and togetherness for the purpose of engendering the spirit of nation building among the citizenry.

And actually, no government succeeds without the contribution of broadcasting media. In view of this fact, there is need for Nigerian government to allow government owned broadcasting media free hand to practice the profession effectively and efficiently, where necessary, can even criticize the government constructively, for the purpose of firing up government for service delivery.

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