ABSTRACT
There are legal and
social problems that have continued to restrain the Nigerian journalists from
adequate and effective news reporting and dissemination. These laws are
meant to dictate to journalists what they should and should not publish or
broadcast. 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 suffered all
sorts of deprivations and mollestations. However, 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. Survey research method was used to justify the degree
of freedom enjoying be the press in Nigeria. For
the purpose of this study, survey research method was adopted
while questionnaires were distributed to the selected respondents at the Nigerian
Union of Journalists Chapel in
Osun State. Findings
shows that press enjoy more
freedom under democracy than under the past military yet the freedom is not 100 percent even
with the New Freedom of Information Law. It is recommended that journalists
should make use of the benefit provided by the new freedom of information
law.
