Media have played and are still playing a vital role in the electioneering processes of many nations. For any election to be termed successful, it must be conducted freely and fairly. That is one of the responsibilities of the media. They are to witness and report to the public because they are the society’s mirror. Media have helped tremendously to disseminate important information to the general public before, during and after every election. They are the backbone of every successful election. As the fourth estate of the realm, they have many responsibilities, some of which cover a wide span from politics to social concerns, public obligations to domestic expectations, in local context and across global realms. As water is to the body, so is media to the society. No democratic government thrives without the efficient role of the media. No wonder it is said that whoever controls the media controls the mind.
In Nigeria, since the return of democracy in 1999 and the transfer of power from civilian-to-civilian in 2007, election has become an important aspect of our democratic life because of the vital role it plays in selecting leaders at all levels and the media on the other hand cannot be separated from politics and elections. It is the responsibility of the media to cover and report issues and events as they unfold through professional reporters. As the mirror and the eyes of the society, the media are tagged with the responsibility of holding the government accountable to the people as articulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is also on record that the role and contribution of media in political awareness, mobilization, education and the entire political development especially before and during election cannot be overemphasized. The media also intervene, inspire and even investigate action. They have helped in shaping decisions in democratic societies; they seek to ensure the accountability of powerful individuals and groups. From this vantage point, it is expected that the media can play a pivotal role during and after election. Perhaps, this is so because both politics and the media have the singular aim of promoting individual and collective interests of the general society.
However, the condition in Nigeria has made media role in an electioneering period a retrogressive one. Ordinarily, in a democratic dispensation, the media should be the one to champion election activities. Through investigative journalism, the media can identify the right people that can factor properly when given the chance to govern the people. As the watchdogs of society, they know the right people that can drive the affairs of the nation with conscious effort. But Nigeria’s condition is such that the more you see, the less you understand. As such, it becomes difficult for the media to fully exercise their responsibilities in an election period.
Apparently, election reporting is an important beat that requires highly professionally trained journalist to handle because of its sensitivity and importance. This is because misleading information or imbalance and unfair report could degenerate into societal conflict that may result into destruction of lives and property. Therefore the media professionals assigned to cover election issues must report and respect the code of ethics of the profession, the Electoral Act and other extant laws so as to achieve the social responsibility and principle of journalism, as election remains the bread and tea of the media especially in a civilian dispensation.
To this end, it is wise to say that the progressive accomplishment of election in a democratic setting, media’s role in election must be given due cognizance. The media is the essence of any meaningful democratic culture. They serve as the mouthpiece of the society, the eyes and ears of the masses and beyond. Thus, the absence of the media in the conduct of any election is like a building without a foundation, because media as an independent institution in the society can champion the course of democracy through a balance, accurate and objective reporting of election activities.
►Deborah Phillips wrote from the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.