Exploring the Issues of Media Ownership and Control in Nigeria

Abstract

This study explores some of the issues in media ownership and control in Nigeria. The study made use of secondary sources of data collection i.e books, magazines, and journals. The study explicated four types of media ownership namely; government ownership, private ownership, mixed ownership and community ownership. The study reveals among other things that media managers are often faced with the dilemma of balancing the media owner’s interest and public’s interest without infringing on the laws of the land or the ethics of the profession. Whether media ownership is private or public, the interest of the owner plays a dominant role in determining what the media managers do or fail to do. Hardly can an owner tolerate a manager who operates contrary to his interest. Media ownership has remained a topical issue in media discourse. This is because a popular saying has it that “he who pays the piper dictates the tune. Again, type of media ownership determines the level of freedom and efficiency of the organization. In reversing these issues, the study recommends that both the private and government media should be allowed to practice freely without any internal or external forces. The media should not be let in the hands of the rich at the expense of the poor.

Keywords: media ownership and control, media managers, ethics, issues, freedom and efficiency, Nigeria.