CHAPTER III: THE PRINT MEDIA
Preamble
3.1 The print media, which comprise newspapers, magazines, books, posters, billboards and handbills, are the oldest of all the modern media of communication in Nigeria dating back to 1859. They have witnessed tremendous growth over the years.
3.2 Newspapers can be used to mobilize and rally the population for development purposes. They have also known to be contributed meaningfully to the educational process in some countries, indeed modern civilization is said to have had its roots in the discovery of writing and more significantly, in the invention of the printing press.
3.3 It is in this regard that the issue of how the print media can best be organized and utilized to mobilize our people for development purpose became paramount. Information, it is said, is power.
Policy Objectives
3.4 Ownership of the Print Media
(1) Government and ownership of newspapers, magazines and the right to publish books, shall co-exists side by side, with neither side enjoying a monopoly
(2) There shall be a regulation against monopoly in other to prevent the misuse of the print media by a few rich or powerful individuals or group of Nigerians.
3.5 News Coverage
(1) The national interest of Nigeria shall in all circumstances and at all times guide the definition of News;
(2) The print media shall focus on the development process going on in the country;
(3) The print media shall, in their coverage of foreign events demonstrate due sensitivity to our aspiration as a people and our efforts to develop;
(4) The print media shall be used as a vehicle for national mobilization in support of policies and programmed aimed at improving the standard of living of Nigerians raising the level of their consciousness and protection and defense of the national interest;
(v) The print media shall champion and enhance the positive aspect of our national values, image, corporate unity and stability.
3.6 Print Media Support Resources- Government shall promote the development of print media resources facilities, such as newsprint, ink and photographic processing chemicals and papers
3.7 Implementation Strategy – Government shall enact a legislation that will guard against monopoly in the print media ;
3.8 News Coverage – The National Communication Commission (NCC) shall be vested with the power to monitor and ensure that communication institutions emphasized the new concept of news ;
3.9 Print Media Support Services
(1) Government shall in conjunction with other interested bodies research into new local sources of raw materials for the newsprint industry;
(11) Government shall direct the petrol-chemical industry to pay particular and urgent attention to the production of essential raw materials such as ink, film, paste and other resource materials;
(111) Government shall encourage private individuals and organizations to go into newsprint and other resource materials production as a way of assuring regular, quality and cheap supply of these vital resources.
CHAPTER IV: THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA: RADIO AND TELEVISION
Preamble
4.1 the electronic media which comprise radio, television, film, communication satellites, computer and telephone, play a vital role in the lives of the citizens of the modern world. The potential of this media particularly the visually oriented ones is immense and limitless. In this section of policy, long-term views have been expressed on the future of the national direction that should be laid down as a matter s of policy for these sensitive and potent areas of the national communications industry. It is designed to guide the operators of the electronic media in the task of national motivation, mobilization and the attainment of the nation’s most cherished national objectives within the contest of a national communications
Policy Objectives
4.2 The cardinal national policy objectives of the electronics media in Nigeria shall be:
(a) To disseminate information to enhance the welfare of the people in all aspects of life – health, economy, culture and the promotion of other values of national excellence;
(b) To provide professional and comprehensive coverage of Nigerian culture in support of cultural development and growth through constructive result oriented research, the result of which shall be publicized for the benefit of the people;
(c) To provide efficient broadcasting service to the entire people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria based on national objectives and aspirations;
(d) To ensure that its programmes shall be a vehicle for mobilizing the rural population for national development and improving the quality of their lives;
(e) To ensure positive contributions of the electronic media to the promotion of the national unit and national integration by making sure that there is balanced presentation of views from all parts of the country;
(f) To ensure that the regular presentation and delivery of accurate information to the people shall be a cardinal policy objective of the electronic media;
(g) To provide opportunity for healthy discussion of important national issues designed to enlighten and mobilize the public;
(h) To provide regular channels of communication between the government and the people;
(i) To always promote the virtues of national consciousness and the emergence of a just humane and self –reliant society;
(j) To emphasized at all times excellence, moral and ethical standard of programme services that will meet the tastes, needs and be acceptable to the substantial groups of viewing and listening public;
(k) To ensure that the development in the field shall be in line with our national interest and shall be an on going concern;
(l) To ensure the effective coverage and reach the entire nation;
(m) To place greater emphasis on the broadcast of news and programmes in indigenous Nigerian languages so as to ensure direct relevance to local communities;
(n) To ensure the right of all professional media practitioners over editorial and programme content in the media shall be guaranteed
(o) To develop well defined editorial and programme content policies in their news and programme production. Such policies shall seek to create a Nigerian ethos.
(p) To ensure that programmes for children and youths are used for inculcating in them indigenous values, the spirit of hard work, patriotism and nationalism and for encouraging them to appreciate and embrace the moral values of the nation;
(q) To structure the broadcast of its educational programmes and curriculum schedule on the provisions of the national policy on education
Ownership
4.3. With regards to ownership, the existing policy in Section 36(2) of the 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is adequate. The time is however not yet ripe for private ownership of the media
4.3 Implementation Strategy
(a) A regulatory body shall be set up to ensure among other things full compliance with all provisions of the policy which relates to the subject area;
(b) The policy shall redress the present imbalance in information low so that impulses shall also commence from rural areas and communities;
(c) Audience measurement activities shall be carried out in all the local community areas in the country to determine at all times the impact and the effectiveness of the subject area;
(d) Viewing and listening centres shall be established in all local communities as these are vital in ensuring communication flow and therefore the success of an audience measurement machinery.
CHAPTER V: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Preamble
5.1 Political institutions are fundamental aspects of the structure of human society. These institutions include for example, those of
(e) Leadership formation and control at all levels and strata of all interest aggregation;
(f) Institutions of legislative process (parliament, congress or assemblies of citizens);
(g) Institutions of partisans interest articulation and mobilization (political parties and other professional, ethic, class, religious, students and workers interest groups);
(h) Institutions of public opinions (the mass media);
(i) Institutions of electoral process (electoral commission) and
(j) Institutions of central allocation of resources (government).
5.2 Guidelines
(a) Identifications of the relationship between the type of political culture and the structure of the national communication system;
(b) Delineation between government interest and the interest of the party in control of the administration;
(c) Structuring and control of government- owned media.
5.3 Objectives
(a) To guarantee the articulation of non-partisan political interest in government owned communication institutions;
(b) To allocate air time on the broadcast media to registered political parties on an equal basis. On no account shall a political party be allowed to buy extra air time;
(c) To allow the establishment of private partisan media newspapers and magazines clearly designated as such.
5.4 Implementation Strategies
(a) Government shall establish a Communication Media Advisory Council as an arm of National Communication Commission with responsibility of monitoring and setting the agenda for coverage of political activities by government owned electronic media;
(b) The Media Council shall ensure that political communication, political party manifestoes and other propaganda materials are designed to inform and not to deceive the public to promote enlightenment, factual social criticism of the government and contenders for political power as well as to promote national integration and National political ideals. |
