Mass Media and Nigeria’s Democracy
The Indispensable Role of Sustenance
Keywords:
Democracy, education, mass media, Nigeria, sustenanceAbstract
This paper examines the indispensable role of mass media in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy. The role played by the mass media on sustaining Nigeria’s democracy cannot be over-emphasized democracy in Nigeria. The primary responsibilities of the mass media are to entertain, enlighten, and inform based on accurate facts and to educate on meaningful issues. All these can be sub-zoomed to sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. The paper briefly traced the origin of media, its major roles, issues of control and major challenges. Secondary and qualitative sources of data were used. Mass media is an indispensable element of democratic sustenance in Nigeria. It is however, greatly undermined by incessant government intervention in operations, non-adherence with laws and policies, amateur operatives, fake news, ethno-religious and geo-regional feelings, among others. The paper makes some recommendations as: extensive civil education, development of national values, stiff control on amateur media operations, stiff penalties fake news production and its spread.