ABSTRACT
The
study is geared toward finding out the impact of the media on electoral fortune
of political parties in Osun state with reference to four media houses and four
political parties i.e. Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, Gold 95.5 F.M,
Ilesa, Osun Defender Newspaper and Nigerian Tribune Newspaper. Political
parties include: Action Progressive Congress (APC), People’ Democratic Party
(PDP), Labour Party (LP) and Accord Party (AP). It is revealed that the role
and contribution of media in political awareness, mobilization, education and
in the entire political development especially during election cannot be
overemphasized. Having critically reviewed the related literature and using relevant
theories to gratify the study, quantitative research design was later used in
which cross-sectional survey method was adopted while the data collection
instrument was questionnaire. 200 copies of questionnaires were administered and
180 were returned. Respondents were drawn using probability and non-probability
technique. Also, the data were analyzed and interpreted using table, frequency
and percentage method. However, findings showed that the sustainability of the
democracy through public mobilization rest on the shoulder of the forth estate
of the realm (media) which is achieved through media social responsibility and
constitutional role. Similarly, most of the people in Osun state are affiliated
to All Progress Congress and Peoples’ Democratic Party with majority of them
participate in politics serving different roles as voters, party agents,
pressmen, and election observers. It is recommended that journalist should try
as much as they can to be fair in their news coverage so as to give equal
coverage to all political parties.
