CHAPTER ONE
THE PROBLEMS AND ITS SETTING
Introduction
Communication is so vital in our human life that no nation has been known to exist without it. It is the exchange of ideas, views, information, experiences and the sharing of meanings between persons, nations, societies and cultures (Dominick, 2002). This necessitates the continuous study in the area of communication and how it affects different societies and people. The report of election coverage is one of the modes of communication.
Elections are the centerpiece of democracy. Through voting, people can air their opinions; express their hopes and aspirations, discipline their leaders, and ultimately control their nation’s destiny. According to democratic theory, elections are the public’s source of power, but in order to use its muscle effectively it has to know where candidates and parties stand on public policy issues. Besides the people themselves, media have major responsibilities in this regard. The media has a vital role in informing the public about what the politicians are promising, in telling the politicians are promising, in telling the politicians what ordinary people want, or do not want, and in ensuring that the polls are “free and fair”. This is particularly important in countries lacking a solid background of democratic rule (Lange and Ward, 2004).
Elections correspond to periods of heightened media coverage and reporting. With each political party wanting to lead the country, these transitional times are often fashioned with competitive language, rising tensions, and occasional political violence, sometimes even resulting in violent conflict. The media is the primary mechanism for these dynamics. Therefore, the role of journalist is particularly crucial during then election process. In an often delicate content, and with a mind to conflict prevention, journalists must depend on their professional skills (Croteau and Hoynes, 2000). They must commit to delivering thorough, verified, and unbiased information, pulled from a number of diverse sources, to the public. At the same time, they must refrain from reporting information that encourage divisions or antagonistic discussions, which are likely to incite violence or endanger social structure.
News reporting through the radio demands that the reporter uses all of his or her abilities in the gathering of the news facts and story backgrounds, organizing same in a coherent fashion and then telling the listeners these stories in a clear and logical manner that they would understand. The aim of the broadcast station is to tell its ardent listeners what us happening in a manner that is as complete as possible.
The importance of the mass media is emphasized by Skormand and Scgroeder (1992) when they wrote that the electronic media is the most powerful form of public communication, as well as the prime site of the social negotiation of ideas values and lifestyles. Time restrictions may not permit reportorial completeness in answering the 5Ws and H, but radio stations aim at getting the rest available version of the facts at the moment of courage. During the recently concluded 2015 general elections in Nigeria, most media corporations stationed in Uyo were able to get live reports from its correspondents. The report to the world what is happening in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and in the other parts of the country because of the news gathering technology it has greatly invested in.
Elections are a terrifying period for journalists the world over, since they generate heightened political pressure, an increase in the number of manipulation attempts, and the need to work, hastily. If newsrooms also face materials and financial difficulties and a shortage of competent staff at a time when citizens expect the media to be ubiquitous, journalists’ work can soon become incomplete or unbalanced. The media sector’s political environment as well as its structure plays a key role in the manner the media cover the elections. Where the media environment is unstable, covering elections according to the principles of equal access and non discrimination can become very problematic (Adedeji, 2005).
The obstacles faced by the media during electoral processes are also to be found in countries with a long democratic tradition. The Nigerian media as a viable instrument of integration, peace and stability has been playing a tremendous role in shaping the political process of the country. This research seeks to examine the role and activities of the media in election coverage; the functions and challenges of journalists in the coverage of election in Akwa Ibom State. One must underline the logistical challenge posed by the media in reporting election coverage. When logistical challenges combine with political manipulations. It can be difficult to determine which dysfunctions are tied to technical problems, fraud or informal mechanisms retrenching freedom (Agba 2007).
This study therefore is an effort attempted to chart a similar course for the Nigerian society. Ti seeks to capture the challenges of media coverage of election in Akwa Ibom State. To achieve this it tends to adopt an analytical methodology to unravel the issues relating to Editorial coverage of election in the News Agency of Nigeria, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.