PROPOSAL
/ CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
In its
1956 history, the Nigeria news media has evolved from endorsing colonial
missionary catechism through the spirited advocacy of the struggle for
Independence and moved its post indigene mission and defining its role with the
state, it is imperative to note that press had played and is still playing a
key role in Nigeria. The mass media is therefore the bedrock on which the
government fabric is built. Mass Media is the channel through which the
military and civilian government expresses their policy.
Since
1960, the press has been asserting its relevance to the evolution o the Nigeria
state although 29 of those forty seven (47) years, it has operated under the
malevolence of increasingly repressive military regimes. It vital tradition of
lively reportage. Remarkable on the African content was natured within a
political culture that tolerated dissent, especially as a mechanism for
balancing various ethnic and political forces battling for the centre of the
Nigeria state.
Up till
date, conflict between the media and the state were resolved through back door
negotiation or judicial intervention although many journalist have been lined
and others jailed for carrying out their civic and constitutional
responsibility, some decreases were promulgated by the military government
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) whose members include government and
independent press.
Again,
the military regime, Babangida particularly targets the Nigeria media in their
classic role as public watchdog and instrument of check against government
exceses. In a sophisticated carrot and stick strategy, the government,
corrupted many members of the press, terrified some and sent some in exile, it
was under this kind of military regime that top editor, Dele Giwa was
assassinated with a letter bomb in 1986 and various publication were prescribed
by the executive decree.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
This
research work aim at studying the different challenges of investigative
journalism practice in Nigeria, using Tell Magazine Nigeria as a case study.
It is
also intended to compare and contrast the level of freedom of information
during the military era and in present democratic dispensation. The researcher want to know if the
recent Freedom of Information Law in Nigeria has enhance the effectiveness of
journalists and reduce the level of victimization, harassment, killing,
kidnapping and host of others challenges facing media in the course of
gathering and dissemination information to the general public.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following questions are of interest in this study;
i.
What are likely problems
or difficulties encountered by journalist in Nigeria?
ii.
To what extent does the
Nigeria constitution adequately guarantees press freedom?
iii.
What could be done to promote
press freedom in Nigeria?
iv.
How can problems
encountered by the press in the discharge of the duty be minimized?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim
of this study is to discuss the challenges facing! investigation journalism
practice in Nigeria using Tell Magazine as a case study, other objectives of
the study are:
i.
To identify various
problems encountered by the press and solution to it.
ii.
To understand the
principles of press freedom.
iii.
To enhance the freedom of
press
iv.
To understand the problems
faced by the press in Nigeria.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The
purpose of this research work is to take a critical look at the different
challenges facing investigative journalists in the course of their duties and
various analysis to determine how the corporate objective of journalism
practice can be realized.
It is the
hope of researchers the finding will go a long way to assist potential
journalists to know how far the Nigeria constitution goes in guaranteeing the
freedom of the press.
Students
of mass communication, journalism and other related fields of study will
through this research know some of the impediments to their success and the
challenges ahead of them so that they will be able to prepare for those
challenges.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This
project work has been properly designed and segmented in such way that covered
our case study, that is, Tell Magazine Nigeria. This does not imply that any
information necessary from outside was not added but it based on relevant
issues of challenges of investigative journalism practice in Nigeria.
The
research data or information was collected from the organization (Tell
Magazine) and it based on what has been happening concerning challenges of
investigative journalism practice in Nigerian. All relevant information was
collected within Nigeria only, due to time and financial constraints.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
During
the course of this research, some limitations were encountered such as:
i.
Limitation of the
respondents: questionnaires
that were administered to only staff of tell magazine. This is necessitated by
the limited period need to complete the work.
ii.
Financial constraints.
iii.
Duration for the research
work is relatively short.
iv.
Uneasy access to
informative materials on time.
v.
Stress from other academic
assignments is one of the limitations to the study.
1.8 Historical Background of Tell Magazine
Tell
Magazine was established in 1985 by five journalists who had previously worked
for “News Watch” Nigeria’s first weekly news magazine. As explained by Tell’s
editor in chief Nosa Igiebor, the journalists were uncomfortable with the
‘Coziness’ which had developed between “Newswatch’s” founding editors and the
government. “Tell” was initiated by the journalists to be more challenging and
critical in their publications. After its first year on the newsstands, Tell
gained a reputation as a leader in questioning (military ruler lbrahim)
Babangida’s willingness to handover the run-up to the June 12 presidential
election and in the turbulent aftermath. The magazine’s print run was as high
as 10,000 copies a week at that time, according to lgiebor.
Tell
became one of Babangida regime’s favourite target in April after the magazine
established an interview with former head of state General Olusegun Obasajo.
The cover of the issue featured a quote from Obasanjo in large block red
letter, which read “IBB’s regime is a fraud”.
Over the
next four months, state security forces kept the magazine office under constant
surveillance, occupied them on more than one occasion, seize thousands of
copies of the magazine and assaulted its journalists. This consistent pressure
from the government forced Tell to begin printing underground in July 1993.
On August
15, state security operatives and police ransacked the Magazine offices and
detained Igiebor, executive editor Kola Ilori magazine editor Onome Osifor
Whiskey and Senior associate editor Ayodele Akinkuotu for 12 days.
When the
editors were finally released on August 27, Ernest Shonekan was Nigeria’s
president. The end of the Babangida regime was a welcome respite for “Tell”, up
to 500,000 copies of the magazine had been seized from printers distributors
and vendors in the streets during the last four months of Babangida’ rule
according to Ilori. Tell Magazine remain under surveillance after Genera Sanni
Abacha seized power and lifted the prosecution decree reinforcing how tenuous
press freedom remain in Nigeria.
1.9 DEFINITION OF THE TERMS
Journalism: Journalism can be
defined as the day to day gathering and transmitting of news, which means
journalism, is primarily concerned with giving out of information to an
audience on a regular basis through a suitable channel of communication.
Investigation: This is the process
or act of scrutinizing and placing a careful search or examination in order to
discover facts that are hidden or concealed.
Investigative journalism:
Investigative journalism can be defined as the collection and processing of
facts about current events for dissemination to the public through the medium
of newspapers, magazine, radio, television and so on. Its implementation
requires journalists to have excellent skills that must be mastered and
learned.
In particular,
research, analytical and communication have to be learned by the practitioners
in an effort to make their work more effective.
Journalist: This refers to a
person whose primary occupation is the gathering writing, editing and
transmitting of information on a current event to the public.
Investigative Journalist: This is the person whose primary occupation to gather, writes,
edits with the use of investigation, interview and transmit the information to
the public.
Media of Journalism: The different media
through which information gathered can be presented are:
1. The print media: Newspaper, magazine
2. The electronic: Radio, television, film and internet.
