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Jan. 30, 2007 The media, both print and electronic, represent the forth estate of the realm of every decent nation. In other words it is the forth arm of government after the executive, the legislature and the judiciary of every society in that order where socio-political order is in comformity with modern system of government best defined globally as/by the government of the people, by the people and for the people--democracy. The press in every society for good or bad shape the way the society is seen by the comity of nations; it chronicles and mirrors the day-to-day happenings within and without the given entity by giving objective and sometimes prejudiced blow by blow account of breaking news. The independent media has played significant roles in shaping and re-shaping societies holding accountable those charged with the onerous responsibility and task of providing efficient leadership at every strata of government be it at the grassroot or at the topmost levels. In the US where the general independence of the media is beyond question the press did a lot in exposing the 'watergate' scandal involving the late former president Nixon; again the 'Monicagate' involving former president Clinton and Monica Lewinsky owed it's exposure largely to the press. When America was hit by the Al-Queda terrorist attack of Sept. 11th 2001 the media in the free world analysed the dangerous descent into the unknown without let or hindrance. And when the only superpower standing today struck back at the heart of terror the Arabic world launched the international TV network called 'Al Jazeera' to counter the Western media and strike a balance somewhat in the dissemination of information to global audience. In Africa the freedom of expression is yet to be a total reality given the style and type of leadership produced by the many countries that make up the third world. Many journalists has paid the supreme price for their independent dispositions. In Nigeria names like Dele Giwa, Tayo Awotusin, Kris Imodibe, Bagaultha Kaltho, Godwin Agbroko easily come to mind and memory-- heroes of the pen profession! But the difference is that the Nigerian journalists even under hostile environment brought about by military tyranny has not disappointed the ethics of their profession struggling doggedly against mounting odds to defend the cause of freedom, justice and equity. The Nigerian press, a pride of Africa, draws it's acclaimed strenght and indomitability from both history and experience; it remains fiercely vibrant and vigorous pushing further and deeper the frontiers of free expression as enshrined in our constitution! In spite of persecutions and prosecutions the media men and women in the Giant of Africa has refused to succumb or capitulate to the dictatorial whims and caprices of men of little mind that found and shot their way to power like Generals Ibrahim Babangida and late Sani Abacha. In Rwanda, the ignoble role played by the country's media in the genocide of early 90's brought out the very worst in media terrorism. In the heat of the early stages of the Hutu-against-Tutsi genocide that claimed millions of innocent lives the majority of the media in Kigali and elsewhere towed ethnic lines and fanned the dangerous embers of division, hatred and inferiority complex. The rest is now history. The media when allowed the free hand to perform it's statutory assignment could be a potent weapon against misadventures in power but on the other hand it could constitute a destructive weapon employable by war-mongers and ethnic jingoists to provoke unnecessary bloodsheds. It defines certain parameters through which open and orderly societies are measured for good or for ill. Through constant checking of executive, judicial or legislative excesses and recklessness the media becomes the watchdog of societal evolution and defends the downtrodden and their emasculated interests and well-being. The independent press owe it's allegiance to the larger majority, the silent voiceless people whose docility in the face of misgovernance and politico-economic servitude imposed on the state by lawless mortals at the helm of affairs could be misconstrued for cold complicity. The media becomes a tool for terrorising the people and society when independence of thoughts and ideas are sacrificed on the alter of allegiance to proprietorship or other mundane considerations. In Nigeria some defunct newspapers, magazines et al had collapsed on account of pervasive influence by the owners of such media enterprises. A case in point is the defunct 'Concord' group of newspapers. Sometimes governnment-owned media houses tend to dance to the tune of those in the corridors of power. As the popular saying goes: who pays the piper dictates the tune! But with the advent of radical independent press whose uncompromising adhesion to professional ethics mark them out among the rest the Nigerian media targets the sky as it's limit. One can conveniently cite in this category 'The Guardian', 'ThisDay', 'The Nation', 'The Sun', 'The News' and 'TELL' magazines. To these indomitable professional media groups I doff my hat in sincere appreciation; I say kudos because in a time like this back home in Nigeria where and when every other thing is under moral and incomprehensible assault they have withstood the nauseating signs and sights of the terrible times Nigerian! Ours is unfortunately a nation at war with beckoning greatness! For standing for and by the truth and reason 'ThisDay' has had to pay dearly by having it's editorial board chairman Mr Godwin Agbroko murdered (by those who could no longer accommodate his scathing attacks in his 'This Nation' columns of tuesdays). Again mysterious fire gutted an important part of it's corporate headquarters in Lagos recently to underscore the determination of those hell-bent on maintaining the culture of silence and lies in the glaring mismanagement of our commonwealth. All around African cities some journalists are still languishing in prisons for doing nothing other than kicking against injustice and untruth and refusing to massage the bloated egos of dictators like Zimbabwean Robert Mugabe in rabid defense of ultra-nationalistic leaning of the government. Here in Cote d'Ivoire the media is established primarily to project political battles. The state television stations pander to the thinking of the powers-that-be and newspapers are set up to combat political opponents whose own media houses in turn dish out anti-government informations in equal measure. Though there exists independent press houses here but majority are neither partisan nor neutral in the dissemination of balanced information. From the sublime to the ridiculous one observes the press here (from a vantage position as an Anglophone who speaks and reads French fluently) at work proclaiming Armmaggedon sometimes and misleading the reading public. A classical example could be sufficiently adduced here: when the chief of army staff in this country--General Phillip Mangou--that still lives a fragile situation of "no war-no peace" went to Yamossoukrou, the political capital city, to keep appointment with the UN-sanctioned prime minister--Charles Konan Banny--who is supervising a difficult transition prgramme the outcome of the meeting was the headline story the next day of most of the tabloids here. In a fit of journalistic irresponsibility, a departure from professional ethics and crass negligence of the true position of things a pro-government newspaper indicated in it's headlines that the chief of army staff had ordered the prime minister to re-join the Republic within a three days ultimatum or risk certain undignified unspecified sanctions. You know the Republic is still divided into two by a rebellion led by a young bachelor hot-head called Guillaume Kigbafori Soro that has so far withstood the exigencies and vicissitudes of war and peace times. That news cover with all the falsehood it bore caused a lot of tension in the land provoking the army spokesman later in the evening TV news to denounce what he called the malicious unfounded lies and fabrications of the newspaper's editor and reporter. That news flash was concoted in the wild imagination of whoever did the story and it's motive could never have been more unpatriotic and ill-timed in a nation that is living dangerously for more than four years at the precipice. In conclusion it must be admitted as a fact that the role of the media in the affairs of individual countries determines largely how such nations fare in the human development index. In a society where the affairs of state are conducted in an open and transparent manner the media acts as a catalyst and partner in the journey to greater nationhood. ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a new U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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