Evaluation of the Media Ownership and Control within the Ambit of Digital Age

The history and development of mass media in Nigeria dates back to the establishment of Iwe Irohin in 1859 by Reverend Henry Townsend. And for almost 73 years after the debut of Iwe Irohin, newspaper dominated the Nigerian mass media scene until 1932 when radio broadcasting was introduced as another medium of mass communication in Lagos. Twenty-seven years after establishing the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, the Western Nigeria Television was officially commissioned on October 1959. It is therefore instructive to say that while private individuals pioneered the establishment of newspaper, government pioneered the establishment of radio and television broadcasting in Nigeria.

Ownership and control

The ownership and control of the media particularly the print grew from a missionary/religious press to accommodate businessmen, nationalists, politicians to governments as owners and stakeholders in the industry. Thus, the ownership of the newspaper became a major factor in determining the content. This medium of mass communication became different voice for different owners. Nationalists during their time used newspaper apart from discussing burning national issues; also as a medium to press their demand for the nation’s independence home. On the other hand, politicians found it a veritable medium and platform to express political ideology, etc.

This private control over newspaper industry continued until 1975 when the then military government took over the ownership of Daily Times of Nigeria. The Federal Government went further to establish its presence in the print medium by founding another newspaper called Morning Post in 1961. This move saw various regional governments going into newspaper business as Western Government established The Sketch, Northern Region setting up New Nigeria and others. However, the various governments’ incursion into newspaper business could not be sustained as the current trend indicates private investors playing dominant role in this important medium of mass communication.

Government and Newspaper Control

Government’s move to control the press came with the promulgation of Decree 31 of 1978 that set up the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) to regulate the operations and activities of newspaper industry in the country.  The NPC’s regulatory role and responsibility include but not limited to: enquiring into complaints about the conduct of the press and the conduct of any person or organisation towards the press and exercising in respect of the complaints the powers conferred upon it under this Act; monitoring the activities of the press with a view to ensuring compliance with the Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct of the Nigeria Union of Journalists; receiving application from, and documenting the Print Media and monitoring their performance to ensure that owners  and publishers comply with the terms of their mission statements and objectives in liaison with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria.

While in the newspaper industry, private ownership held bound until 1975 when the Federal Government made its entrance into the business, the FG held bound in the broadcast media until 1994 when private broadcasting station come on stream. Today, it can be said that the FG’s attempt into the print medium of mass communication which initially recorded a huge success is today a fuss particularly as it sent the once must-read Daily Times out of the newsstand.

Government and Broadcast Control

However, August 24, 1992 ushered in a wave of change into the broadcast industry which saw the FG giving up its total control over the broadcast industry by the enactment of deregulation decree setting up Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The NBC was saddled with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the broadcast media; receiving, processing and considering applications for ownership of radio and television stations, including cable television services, etc. This single act of government has not only liberalized the broadcast industry, it has as well ushered in many players into the field of radio and television broadcast, giving Nigerians a variety of stations to choose from.

The New Media (Internet-driven)

The new media, which include the social media is internet-driven in nature. It is the emerging press of the 21^st century.  With the application of information communication technology (ICT), dissemination and access information is made much easier. It is another medium of mass communication that is neither limited by space nor time. It has global reach with an unprecedented speed. 

Evaluation of the Media Ownership and Control Within the Ambit of the Digital Age

The print media though largely owned and controlled by the private sector has its activities and operations controlled by the government through the Nigerian Press Council (NPC). While such stakeholders as advertisers, ownership and political interference are indirect controllers of the media – print and broadcast.

Given the deregulation of the broadcast media in 1992 which saw the influx of privately-owned broadcast stations through licenses issued by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission. The NBC exercises supervisory role over the entire broadcast media. However, the above supervisory capacity of the NPC and NBC seems to be exercised more on the privately-owned media as the NPC and NBC seem to be occupied with protecting government’s interest than carrying out their core responsibility of supervision. This they do by ensuring that anti-government programmes are not published or aired through these media.

However, the advent of the internet has provided people all over the world with an inhabitable access to information. The availability or accessibility of internet gives any interested person a platform to express his/herself on this global platform. Users of the medium are entitled to maximum freedom of speech and expression. With internet access, anyone can become an editor of an online publication. Today, we have innumerable websites, blogs, and other social media where people express their views freely without fear or hinder.

At present, Nigerian government is yet to come up with regulatory policy on the online medium.

At the moment for Nigerian online publishers, it is all comers affair.  A free world!