PRESS FREEDOM IN AFRICAN SOCIETY
(A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA IN PERIOD OF 1999 – 2003)
By
-
Presented To
Department of
Mass Communication
ABSTRACT
It seems easy to propound idealistically the principle that freedom of expression and that of the press are close to the central meaning of all liberties, it is not easy to establish universally acceptable criteria for freedom of the press. But press freedom has been still is and will continue to be of concern to all the nations of the world considering the responsibilities of the press in the society. The scio-political ideology of a nation continues to be reflective of the type of press system that operates in that society. For a nation that operates democratic system of government, the press, they will enjoy freedom, open market of ideas, liberty etc.
From the analysis presented, it is certain that press freedom exists because it was enshrined in the constitution. At the same time, it was evident that the existing press freedom was not absolute because most of the decrees applied in the military era saw their way into this present democratic dispensation. This lends credence to the reason there was no absolute press freedom and they were summed under four factors referred to as the crisis of the press. These crisis are: crisis of understanding, crisis of power, crisis of ownership and crisis of resources.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER ONE1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER TWO2.1 SOURCES OF LITERATURE
2.2 THE REVIEW
2.3 PRESS FREEDOM AT A GLANCE
CHAPTER THREERESEARCH METHODOLOGY3.1 RESEARCH METHOD
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.3 RESEARCH SAMPLE AND POPULATION
CHAPTER FOUR4.1 DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
4.2 DISCUSSION
CHAPTER FIVE5.1 SUMMARY
5.2 RECOMMENDATION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
QUESTIONNAIRE