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Nigeria’s media scene is one of the most vibrant in Africa. Newspapers, television and radio remains the most important medium of mass communication and information, with Social media rapidly emerging as the next big medium. Historically, Nigeria has boasted the most free and outspoken press of any African country, but also one which has consistently been the target of harassment by the past military dictatorships. Many agents of Nigeria’s press have been imprisoned, exiled, tortured, or murdered as a result, among them being Ogoni activist and television producer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed for treason by order of the Sani Abacha dictatorship in 1995 (resulting in the expulsion of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations and sanctions from abroad).
However, as with most other countries, blogging has increasingly become a much safer, and much easier, conduit for Nigeria’s growing Internet-enabled minority to express their dissatisfactions with the current state of affairs in Nigeria. It exists in mediums like;
Newspapers
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events. Newspapers have traditionally been published in print (usually on cheap, low-grade paper called newsprint). However, today most newspapers are also published on websites as online newspapers, and some have even abandoned their print versions entirely. Until the 1990s most publications in Nigeria were government-owned, but private papers such as the Nigerian Tribune, The Punch, Vanguard, and the Guardian continued to expose public and private scandals. Laws related to the media, including newspapers, are scattered across various pieces of legislature. There are few good sources of discussion and analysis of these laws.
An analysis of newspapers shows a strong bias towards coverage of males, reflecting prevalent cultural biases. Few articles discuss women and there are few photographs of women outside the fashion sections. Although earnings have declined since the late 1980s the number of publications has steadily grown. As of 2008 there were over 100 national, regional or local newspapers.
Radio and Television
While newspapers (and, most recently, blogging) have long thrived in Nigeria, radio and television has not received as much recognition, due to limited resources and press restrictions which beset the establishment of radio or television services in Nigeria. However, such limitations have since been improved in order to reach larger audiences both within and without Nigeria, such as with the growth of satellite television.
Internet sites
is a collection of related web pages, including multimedia content, typically identified with a common domain name, and published on at least one web server. Virtually all Nigerian newspapers have an internet presence; in addition, there are several websites which are dedicated to allowing Nigerians to air their opinions on a variety of topics.
Media Control And Press Freedom
Although the government censors the electronic media through the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which is responsible for monitoring and regulating broadcast media, there’s no established proof towards Government’s control of the media. Radio stations remain susceptible to attacks by political groups. the media is allowed to broadcast “fair comment on matters of public interest”. Penalties for defamation of character include two years’ imprisonment and possible fines.
The law requires local television stations to limit programming from other countries to 40 percent and restricts foreign content of satellite broadcasting to 20 percent. The NBC’s 2004 prohibition of live broadcasts of foreign news and programs remains in force, but does not apply to international cable or satellite services.
