MASS MEDIA COVERAGE OF HUMAN RIGHT’S ABUSE IN NIGERIA AS REGARDS THE ABACHA’S REGIME

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

         Media constitute essential democratic force created by the society to serve the society its power residents in the media’s surveillance, reporting or watchdog functions. Mass media exposes revolutionary ideas, reveal unlawful acts and justice, denounce government abuses and human rights violations. A major thrust of journalistic reportorial work is to expose human right violations. In effect, if we are to only on our first hand experiences based on this, not many people will get to known about such abuses. Because we cannot be on more than one place at a time. Interestingly, the mass media stand the vantage position of covering widely as well as brining these injustices and brutalities to reach the heterogeneous audiences.

However, reader of newspapers and the society at large are bound to enjoy a number of advantages. If the human right abuses, as they occur in the society (Nigeria) are adjustably reported and are given the desired prominence in the pages of newspaper. Firstly, the citizens should be informed and at the same time inculcated with the individual fundamental human right which h are inalienable entitlement of every citizens. Secondly, they are educated on the various modes and various techniques of violating rights in the society; whether by the state or individual. These is effects will make everyone to enjoy the right of knowing what his rights are in the society. Mass media serves as an essential ingredients of success or failure of human rights activities all over the world. It also serves as a tool or channel through which human rights abuses or violations are exposed to the public. Media are also the means through which human rights programmes are planed and published for actions and reactions from appropriate authority and the public. However, is Nigerian situation, human rights infraction tend not t be given due prominence in both print and electronic medium. For instance during Abacha’s regime (which is the main focus of this research work) very few newspaper especially the privately owned, carried the true story of how the military Justin murdered Ken Sarowiwa and his eight other kinsmen.

With this, it assumed that ownership patterns seems to be the major determinants or that perhaps other classes of stories have edged out such atrocities stories.

However, as a researcher, it has been discovered that he late general Sani Abacha held the most dubious  record pf being the least accessible Nigerian leader, having failed to grant a single interview to any Nigerian publication while in office. To underscore his contempt of the society and the press, he prescribed 18 publications in 1994 from the stables which concerned Punch, Guardian newspaper Ltd (Ezeukwu, 1988: 87) journalist we constantly hailed into detestation without any formal charges in the law courts. It was against this background that the radio Democratic International (RD) renamed Radio Kudinat Nigeria (RKN) was established by National’ Democratic and the human right activities group (NADFED).

In this work, the role of human right activities in Nigeria comes into focus. Both the short – comings of the reporters of the media owned by the government and the impact of coverage of human rights infractions would be examined. This will also identify how the media fared in their reporting and analytical responsibilities in Sani Abacha’s era. In achieving professional journalism, political advanceman, we have embarked on this study of mass media coverage of human right abuse in Nigeria (a fuse on Abacha’s Era) with the hope that at the end of this exercise, we would have a scientifically tested explanation for this problems. Ownership pattern is area of prominence, volume headings and coverage just like other factors tied to investigated by the researchers as relevance in mass media coverage of human right abuse in Nigeria.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

         The problems under investigations is the mass media coverage of human right’s abuse in Nigeria as regards the Abacha’s regime. The study will examine the role of ownership, on how it affects the coverage of this issue in Nigeria newspaper.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY        

1. To ascertain how government/private ownership of mass media affects media coverage of human rights infraction in Nigeria.
2. To find out how the Nigeria newspaper allocated spaces, position and read lines on the issues of human rights violation.
3. The coverage, should it differ? Or whether the discrepancy can be attributed to the lack of professional training.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Through scientific investigation, the following results are expected to be yielded.

1. Research being a corner, stone is expected to assist in finding solution particularly to those reports which are being reported to our media houses.
2. The study is expected to enhance journalists professionalism as it concerns human rights education by identifying its abuses, its objectives and a balance reporting in the media.
3. The research world contribute to the media policy makers to evolve change that would been fit journalist and the society.

RESEARCH QUESTION

         This study is guided buy the following question:

1. How did Nigerian newspaper cover human righs violations during general Sani Abacha’s era?
2. Did the Nigeria newspapers give prominence to stories on human rights abuse (front/back page placement)              
3. What volume of space did Nigerian press allocate to stories on human rights violations in Nigeria during Abacah’s regime.
4. Do Nigeria Newspapers report stories of human rights abuses with banner headlines?

 

HYPOTHESES

         In a attempt to investigate the factors that influence the role of media and the various ways of covering human rights infractions in Nigeria, the following hypotheses have been put in place.    

Hi:    Nigeria newspapers covered human rights abuses during Abacha’s era.

Ho:   Nigeria newspapers did not cover human rights abuses during Abacha’s era.

H2:   Nigeria newspapers gave prominence to stories of human rights abuses through front and back page placement.

Ho:   Nigeria newspapers did not give prominence to stories of human rights abuses through front and back page placement.

H3:   Nigeria newspaper allocate large volume of space to stories on human rights abuse in Nigeria during Abacha’s era.

Ho:   Nigeria newspaper did not report stories of human rights abuse with banners headlines during Abacaha’s era.

 

CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF VARIABLES  

1 Coverage: Conceptual – reporting events, issues, views and personalities; daily time, vanguard reports on the issues of human rights abuse in Nigeria.

2. Human rights abuses: Conceptual violation of inalienable rights of individual, ie those rights that people should be entailed to those rights includes, the following access to medical care, education, freedom of speech and freedom of movement etc.

operational: How daily time, Vanguard covered detention without trial killings, beating and other acts of brutality by the Abacha’s regime.

 

ASSUMPTION

It is assumed that the extent of government’s human rights abuses/violation in Nigeria. Also the researcher assume that privately owned newspapers give wide coverage prominent, large volumes and banner headlines to reports on human rights abuse in Nigeria than the government owned newspapers.

 

 

 

 

LIMITATION

         The researchers investigation will be restricted to selected private and government owned newspapers which circulate nationally or throughout Nigeria.

The result will be generalized to want to of time and economic down to a circle and time too, so is as to meet up with the appropriate schedule.            

Download our android mobile app for more materials

ORDER NOW

COMPLETE MATERIAL  COST  N2,500 Or $10.  FRESH  PROJECT MATERIAL  COST 50,000 NAIRA FOR UNDERGRADUATE, OTHERS 100,000 -200,000 NAIRA.

THE NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF ENUGU NORTH LGA, ENUGU STATE

Foreign Transaction For Dollars Payment :
Bank Name: GTBank
Branch Location: Enugu State,Nigeria.
Account Name: Chi E-Concept Int’l
 Account Number:  0117780667. 
Swift Code: GTBINGLA 
Dollar conversion rate for Naira is 175 per dollar. 

ATM CARD:  YOU CAN ALSO MAKE PAYMENT USING YOUR ATM CARD OR ONLINE TRANSFER. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR BANK SECURITY FOR GUIDE ON HOW TO TRANSFER MONEY TO OTHER BANKS USING YOUR ATM CARD. ATM CARD OR ONLINE BANK TRANSFER IS FASTER FOR QUICK DELIVERY TO YOUR EMAIL . OUR MARKETER WILL RESPOND TO YOU ANY TIME OF THE DAY. WE SUPPORT CBN CASHLESS SOCIETY. 

OR
PAY ONLINE USING YOUR ATM CARD. IT IS SECURED AND RELIABLE.

form>DELIVERY PERIOD FOR BANK PAYMENT IS  LESS THAN 24 HOURS

CALL OUR  CUSTOMERS CARE  OKEKE CHIDI C ON :  08074466939,08063386834.

AFTER PAYMENT SEND YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS TO

08074466939 or 08063386834, YOUR PROJECT TITLE  YOU WANT US TO SEND TO YOU, AMOUNT PAID, DEPOSITOR NAME, UR EMAIL ADDRESS,PAYMENT DATE. YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR MATERIAL IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS ONCE WILL CONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT.

WE HAVE SECURITY IN OUR BUSINESS.   

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE