MEDIA COVERAGE OF 2007 ELECTION (A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF AUDIENCE PERCEPTION)

CHAPTER ONE

 

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The much-touted 2007 elections now belong to the past.  Nigeria did not break in pieces, at least, literally.  However, like every other significant event in a nation’s history, the 2007 general elections is just still present.  It left in its trail unrestrained outbursts, tantrums, violence, condemnations as well as commendations.  All the major actions had something to say – the aspirants, the political parties, the elections observers, NGOs, pressure groups and indeed, the electorate around whom, the whom electoral process revolves.

President Olusegun Obasanjo, shortly after his re-election, said in an nationwide NTA broadcast, April 21, 2007, that he was indeed humbled that he was still the choice of the Nigerian people for a second term.

The European Union observes noted that in ‘Thisday’ (2007:19) that the elections were though successfully rigged in many parts of Nigeria.  The National Newspaper, for the most part, were full of victory and reprimands for the re-elected aspirants, who they accused of massive rigging, very many other newspapers contents eulogized the conduct of the polls.  Furthermore, many Nigerians Lanproved the elections, vehemently unleashing consignments of invective on the PDP seeming conspiracy against defenseless Nigerians.

Now, whose words are apt to describe the elections?  Because the media are purveyors of mass information; the pivots of social communication and agenda setters, the electorate always turned to the mass media, especially the print media, for relevant information.  There are however, as many print media houses as there are editorial philosophics that underlie media operations.

This is why this research project is devoted to exploring audience perception of press coverage of 2007 Election.  The bedrock of democratic government is the people’s will.  This opinion is pronounced in elections through the electorate giving legitimate mandate to a crop of people to represent them in government milieu.  It is little surprise then why ascertaining the opinion of the people is very important at this point.  The people will be unhappy if they are convinced that their choices did not reign supreme eventually.  This is because they know that election provides the opportunity for them to censor their governors through the ballot box.  The electoral process is used to keep leaders within the rue principles of democratic institution.

Yet opinion is nor merely a question of just finding out how people feel or describe the elections.  Beyond the peripheral descriptions, there ought to be an analysis of the implications of people’s reactions to the elections especially in view of past occurrences in Nigeria’s political experiences.  People’s reactions come in form of acceptance, rejection, tolerance, (in the so called interest of peace rather than justice) praise, attack or total condemnation and abhorrence of the whole process.

We will situate our quest within some theoretical foundations, the views of pundits on various election matters, and give insights into Nigeria’s election past with focus on people’s perception of the past electoral processes.

Communication experts try to underscore the importance of the reporter in guiding audience actions and in actions before, during and after elections.  We are particularly interested here.  Given my course of study, and the place of the media in guiding public opinion formation, it becomes imperative that we look into studies on media and public opinion on election matters.

Umechukwu (2001:39) notes:

“The political reporter studies, comprehends, articulates and interprets relevant national issues.  He also has the duty of making an intelligent analysis of political activities and profiling the main actors in the p0olitical stage with the view of giving explanation of issues.  With the reporters profiling, the masses can make their choices among candidates to be voted for in election”.

In his own submissions, Nwozuzu (1999:75) makes our point sharper.  He posits that;

The basis of democratic government is the opinion of the people, and opinion, which the free press helps to shape through information dissemination.  The media derive their importance partly, if not wholly by fulfilling, and supplying this information need of the electorate.

In carrying out this obvious social responsibility the media not only inform but also help the people elect individuals or leaders who serve to safeguard public liberty

What we are labouring to clarity is that the opinion of the people should have been guided by the media.  The media have to see themselves as a conduit through which the people receive vital electoral information to help them in the contributing to the electoral process.  Paramount in this contribution ought to be assessment of elections.

After these analyses, we shall make projections as well as recommendations both to the people and all other political actions.  This is a veritable means of making our inquiry meaningful and in fact, useful.

One thing the media must note about the political process in Nigeria is that it (the process) goes on without one part of the most important actors – the citizenry.  And its minorities should be respected, I think nothing in political reporting should be considered ahead of the solution to the above malady in the Nigerian political life-alienation of the electorate.

How can the citizenry be launched into the mainstream of the political process?  How can they be made to be active and be the sole determinants of election results as well as the system of governance.  This is the crux of political reporting no more.

The starting point, I think is that the press should extricate itself from the strangle-hold of politicians and be public oriented, this will divest them of the same in difference and distrust with which the estranged citizenry treats politicians.  What I mean is that the media should start work of political reporting from its own house – eschew superficial reports, brazen bias and such acts that stifle effective elections.

All public activities must be analyzed see if they are underguarded by any political undertone.  A court ruling may indict school system in an area either to undermine or extol the effort of either a political foe or friend respectively.  The media, that fails to look beyond the judicial proceeding may fail to detect the undercurrents in the proceedings.

Hage et al (1976:193) gives the following as functions of a elections reporters.

Reporting and interpreting events

Defining issues

Portraying personalities

Investigating support

Identifying trends

Checking and analyzing public opinion.

The media must understand the relationship between his political sources.  The media is a channel and the politician is a source.

• STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Concretely, the research project seeks to dissect people’s opinions of media coverage of Nigeria’s transition to the 5^th Republic as epitomized by the April 2007 election.  People’s views need to be placed within the framework of the past and present political cum electoral realities and their impact on Nigeria’s socio-political future.

There is equally a need for close examination of the views against a backdrop of ethnicity, partisan spirit, nepotism and sycophancy as well as objectivity and fairness which can attend people’s views of any issue including media attention.  My analysis will also respect the nature of public opinion.

These problems, if fully analyzed and interpreted will require as a follow up necessary recommendations to all elections factors, especially the media electorate and the rulers.  The above, I believe will form the comprehensive hard nuts, which my study set to crack in the subsequent chapters.

• OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to analyze people’s perceptions of media coverage of last elections.  The aim is to ascertain if the media exhibited their responsibilities as they ought to.  Election is all about freedom to choose the leaders in a society by rational people.

This study aims at analyzing the people’s views in the spotlight of a diversity of interests and other variables that colour opinions.  The chief aim is to work out a healthy solution to Nigeria’s electoral problems.  It is out desire to  guide the electorate right on issues of nature, Nigeria runs the risk of existing national unity.  Nigerians hardly fight a common political cause.

My postulations will portray on ordered arrangement of electoral behaviour from which Nigerians can work out last problems.  The mass media will readily appropriate corrections.  It is my aim to make this possible.

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Nigeria, as an entity needs this type of study to help her find solutions to all kinds of political problems.  Much of the problems belong in the area of difficulties witnessed by emerging democracies like Nigeria.

Jibo (1997) holds that Aside from the problems of National Integration, another one (problem) in an emerging democracy is the fostering of the democratic culture n its politics.  By this we mean, getting all political actors or the crucial ones among them, to accept the rules, which are made to guide the conduct of elections, and to abide by them.

This study is structures to guide mostly the electorates on opinion formation after due inquiry into what they now think of the immediate past elections.

The study will add to the existing models of political behaviour and can be drawn from deal with any intellectual as well as practical political affair.  The study will equally be beneficial t the mass media as they have a score sheet to learn from.

 

• RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Within the context of our research problem and aims, we put forth the following as concrete questions that will guide my inquiry:

• Generally, what are people’s views about media coverage of the elections?
• What are the important factors that conditioned people’s views?
• Are there common views across all shares of opinions?
• What role did the mass media play in shaping people’s opinions?
• What would the electorate expect from the media in future elections in the light of their present views?

 

• RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

H1:   People generally, approve of the way the elections were covered.

H0:   People generally do not approve the way the elections were covered.

H2:   The mass media were an important tool that helped to shape views.

H0:   The mass media were not an important tool that helped to shape views.

H3:   Given the variables that condition people’s views, the latter are objective.

H0:   Given the variables that shape people’s views the latter will not be objective.

 

• CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

People:     Here, we are concerned with the electorates.  The latter are that part of the citizenry who are qualified by age to cast votes for aspirants to electoral posts.

Electorates:      Those who eligible to vote, the electors.

Views:      We use views to mean people’s attitudes, opinions, reactions in actions, literal interpretations and general behaviour towards the just concluded April elections.

Election:   The process through which the electorates choose their leaders who will represent them in government.

 

• ASSUMPTIONS

Loud screams rent the air immediately after the elections.  The noise consists of growls, howls, lampooning statements as well as eulogizes.  I assume that these various reactions will reflect varying interest ranging form ethnic, partisan to assorted interest like sheer sycophancy.

I assume, too that the views will not portray a people ready for crucify the media for their lapses.

The views will be for those people who are merely tired of political system, but are very helpless and unwilling to take their destiny into their hands.

 

• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study  ought to be extended to quite a large number of societies in Nigeria.  This will help us gather data that will reflect various opinions coloured by an assortment of variables, like ethnic background and party affiliations.  Time and resources limited me.

Also, the bulk of literature review as well as data acquisition should come from key political actors like party chairmen and INEC OFFICIALS I am limited by the same factors added to the difficulty in getting the sources on hand to comment.

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