Among the major functions of mass media according to communication scholar, Harold Lasswell, is the surveillance of the environment. This key function of the media place a huge responsibility on the media to constantly provide information to the human society through reportage of happenings around the world. It is the duty of the media to provide news and cover a wide range of issues that are of great importance to their domain area, and this can help maintain social order during times of crisis, thereby avoiding disinformation among the public.
Nigeria mass media as part of world media landscape played the role during colonial era, their role ensured this country got her independence from Great Britain. This they did by serving as a mouthpiece of the people; and also as watchdog on the activities of the colonialist. In fact, they gave them a torrid time and were always on the nerve of the colonial masters. Even a couple of years back during military regime, they have been the backbone of revolt against the reign of military junta in the country that later ushered in democracy back in 1999. This enviable role makes it a toast of the other nations in the continent that essentially prided itself as the most vibrant media landscape in the continent.
But in a recent time against this enviable antecedent, the media has retrogressed and often failed to be fair in the reportage of the success of military against the terrorists ravaging north eastern part of the country. There seem to be a confusing dichotomy of narrative in Nigeria’s war in terror. Media have failed to give enough report about the successes recorded by troops, the more effort is made to drown these exploits under a sea of ultra high negative reportage. Whats worse, the reports are skewed with divisive and incendiary argument.
During the course of the week, the military had a crushing and devastating victory against the jihadist that literally led to the surrender of one of the commander of the Boko Haram fighters identified as Salihu Ahmodu with some members to give up their weapons to the troops. This has been so since August of this year. According to the military, 17,000 insurgents have surrendered and more are expected to do the same as air and ground operations continue. The news only got traction of reportage from the major news outlets. External media can not even hide their disdain for the victory. The BBC in their scathing assessment called it “phyrric” victory, and it is sad.
The downplaying of such news has made many to believe media has a cynical agenda against the military and the stability of the country, because whenever those terrorists had a smallest of advantage against the military, the media usually give more to the coverage of such news even to the extent of blowing it out proportion using graphics that sensible and responsible media practitioners know should not be released to the public. Doing so amount to giving credence to the ways of the terrorists.
The media should know that no matter the grudges they may have against the government by giving negative report about the success of war against terror, it ultimately goes back and affect the masses. They should know, it takes time to build a stable and peaceful society to forge that strong national identity. Europe is the calm civilized society today because they have been around for much longer and their media is responsible to the need of their various nations during trying times by not making the bad moment even worse.
Lessons can be learnt from Libya about how powerful the media is in shaping the narrative and perception, which can lead to the destruction of any society if the media are not responsive to socio-political temperature of such society, Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi was killed in gory war because the Western press had drummed up so many theories and half truths about Gaddafi’s rule in Libya. By 2011, enough damage had been done to Gaddafi by the press, especially the western media to seal his fate and transform one of Africa’s most prosperous society into a failed state. The destruction of Libya has created a big vacuum that ultimately increase the rate of insecurity in the sahel region down to northern Nigeria.
Though there is code of conduct expected from media companies by both NBC and NPC, but it will not be out place for national assembly to enact a law as per certification of journalists, and make it mandatory for media practitioners to have certification in the relevant field of study that is related to media practice in the country, so as to know the ethics of the job.
