Media and Democracy In Nigeria: A Critique Of Liberal Perspective

Abstract

Two main theoretical frameworks have been used to explain the relationship between the mass media and the democratic process. The first historically and probably the pervasive and influential is the liberal perspective which draws its main arguments from market theory and pluralist sociology. The other, critical media theory draws a lot from Marxist scholarship and social theory. This article discusses the relevance of the liberal narrative to the functions and structure of the Nigerian mass media. The article attempts to explicate the main principles of this perspective. Drawing from the literature, we discuss the arguments that have been advanced in critique of these principles. It is submitted that recent developments have undermined the credibility of the liberal perspective. Within the Nigerian context, the article posits that as presently constituted, the Nigerian mass media cannot fulfil the mandate of this Western-inspired theory. Though, it remains the over-arching explanation of framework, its inadequacies became more glaring if we consider the socio-historical context of journalism practice in Nigeria.

Key words: Liberal perspective, democracy, fourth estate, journalism and instrumentalisation