Abstract
There are legal and
social problems that have continued to restrain the Nigerian journalists from
adequate and effective news reporting. These laws are meant to dictate to
journalists what they should and should not publish. Whether in a military or a
civilian government, these laws are always there to serve the objectives of the
powers that be, and to brow beat the press. In the past military dictatorships,
many journalists and reporters suffered all sorts of deprivations and
depredations. When the military relinquished power to a democratically elected
civilian government in May 1999, there was general relief owing to the belief
that member of the
‘fourth estate” of the realm would have relative freedom, majority of the
respondents agreed that press enjoy more freedom under democracy than under the past military. For the purpose of this study, survey method
was adopted while questionnaires were distributed to the selected respondents
within mass communication department of Osun state Polytechnic, Iree
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
In
the main constitutional of expression of the press, the freedom of information
law (FOI) is also known as the “public right to know” seeks to give the press
and other citizens the right of free access to information held by government.
There
have been several efforts by media and civil right advocacy for the media to
push for a freedom of information, groups to propels Nigeria in to public club of
progressive countries that have liberalized access to public information and
for the abrogation of the official secret act. However militant authority has
constantly rebuffed the, moves.
The
return to democratic ‘rule on May 29, 1999 ushered in a new window of
opportunity for a freedom of information law. This effort led to the law before
this National Assembly and it is in this furtherance of the possible passage
that the public hearing is being held by the senate.
Public
acclaim received by the honorable house of representative when it passed the
law and declares her public support for this law.
The
word over government are wary of the press having access to public information.
Aside from the issue of national security matters which everyone agrees must be
protected public servants in Nigeria
classify every bit of information secret. It has got. to ridiculous extent that
even public information bulletins have and stamp place on them.
This
law was made to prevent espionage and the communication or transmission of
information vital to the society of state from falling in to the hands of
enemy.
In
many cases the fears of public officials in hording public information are not
base on public interest but to cover up shady deals and shoddy handling of
publics’ affairs. Such fears perhaps prevented the first national assembly from
passing the law even through all major issues and fears raised by members that were
allayed at various consultations on the freedom of information law (FOIL).
1.2
Statement of the Problem
In
view of the above analysis, this project intends to look at an appraisal of Freedom
of the Pres and Information law in Nigeria and the main problem of this
research is that most of the citizen do not know the law that guide the press
freedom and information in Nigeria.
1.3
Objectives of the Study
v
To
study whether the new FIO law has really reshape the practice of
journalism
in Nigeria?
v
To
know how free are press under the new FIO law?
v
To
investigate oh whether media are now free from challenges with the
passing
of FIO law?
v
To
examine how journalists make, use of the new freedom in their day
to
day assignment?
v
To
know the short comings of this new FIO law to the performance of
the
press?
1.4
Research Questions
v
To
what extent does new FIO law reshape the practice of journalism in
Nigeria?
v
How
free is press under the new Ff0 law?
v
To
what extent do media free from challenges with the passage of FIO
law?
v
To
what extent have journalists make use of the new freedom in their
day
to day assignment?
v
What
are the short comings of new FIO law?
1.5
Significant of the Study
Citizens: With the access to information,
citizens can fight corruption and closet government and confront the few who
misappropriation our resources to themselves alone. It also enables every citizen
to know what our government is doing and how the government is spending public
funds.
Media
Practitioner: The
benefit of this research work is to help them to discharge their duties without
any intimidation.
Advertiser: The benefit of -this write-up is to
make them advertise their
products and services without
government control.
Law
Enforcement Agencies:
Law enforcement agencies should also ceased the indiscriminate abuse and
violations of the right on Nigeria,
they are urged instead to be the primary role, of their political beliefs.
Students: Students will have access to
legitimate government records when conducting important research.
Government: The freedom of the press and
information law in Nigeria
will decrease government secrecy and opacity.
The
study will look at the various laws that guarantee press freedom
from both national and international
level.
Moreover,
how press freedom is hanging in balance, mostly in developing countries, unlike
how it flourishes more in the developed country where there are constitutional
and legal provision for its existence will be studied.
The
obnoxious law .of senate committee to override and create some exceptional
clauses to freedom of information law (FOIL) that guarantee press freedom in Nigeria
cannot be overemphasized.
Wide
research of this project cannot be carried .out without some constraint.
Time: Duration for-the research, work is
relatively short.
Finance: Financial constraint also possesses
another challenge.
Stress: Stress emanated from other academic
activities is also another constraint. However,
because of the aforementioned constraints, the scope of this research shall be
narrowed down to Nigeria, in
which discussion and analysis will revolve and. as a result of the larger
population of Nigeria students, the focus will base on the students of Osun
State Polytechnic Iree.
1.8
Definition of Terms
Press: Can be define as newspaper, magazine
and the news station of radio
and television and the journalist who
work for them.
Press
can also define as a person who work on behalf of the people to exercise
corruption in the government and among the governed in order to bring the
needed changes or reforms and they also educate the people on how they can
contribute V their informed judgment to those in, power or government.
Moreover,
.press can be view as a person who provides information to the public on vital
statistics such as information on the stock market, population, figures, and
numbers of schools and hospitals available against the members needed and they
also provide entertainment for the people and this definition is mostly pronounced
on radio and television.
Press
Freedom: Press freedom
means allowing the press to perform its traditional roles bf keeping the masses
informed about event taking place within and outside the community without
threat or hindrance.
Constitution: Constitution is a set of rules that
guide human being.
Law: This means a rule of being or,
conduct, established by an authority for it to be able to enforce it wilt.
Non-Disclosure: Nondisclosure is an act of not V
revealing V the source of information gathered by the reporter.
Hazard: Hazard is the various dangers that
reporters are exposed to, during the course of their duties. It is exposure to
the risk of being injured, destroyed or killed faced by journalist in their
effort to bring information to the public.