ABSTRACT
The
assertion that says “he who pays the pipers dictates the tune” agreed more with
this study because there are lots of government controls and influences on
Nigerian journalists especially those working with the state media. Government
dictates to journalists what they should and should not broadcast. It is
believed that most of the government media journalists have been turned to
their secretary and public relations while government has also turned media to
her extension of ministry of information that cannot but support her activities
dogmatically. Survey method was adopted with the use of 100 questionnaires out
of which 90 were returned upon which the analysis was based. Despite the fact
that private media ownership have lots of influence on the objectivity of their
media yet many audience still prefer them to government media which they
described as government megaphone or government propaganda tool to fool the
public. It is therefore recommended that media owners should not allow the
commercial interest to drive them from the media social responsibility expected
of it in society. Media owners should allow it employee exercise
professionalism in their day to day activities to boost and maintain the media
objectivity and credibility of the media because “source is the news” i.e
credibility of the information will be determined by the credibility of the
media.
