This study investigated the perceptual influence of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on journalism practice in Nigeria using journalists in Anambra State as a case study. The objectives of the study centred on ascertaining the journalists' level of awareness of the provisions of the Act and determining the journalists' perception of the strength and weaknesses of the Act in journalism practice as well as the direction of influence of the Act on journalism practice (whether negative or positive). The study adopted survey method. A sample of 165 was drawn from a population of 289 registered journalists in Anambra State using the proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used to obtain data. Findings revealed that the journalists studied had a high level of awareness of the provisions of FOIA. Also, the journalists perceived the Act as having a more positive influence on journalism practice. Conclusion was that the Act portends good for journalism practice in Nigeria. It was recommended that journalists should make maximum use of the Act, and aspects of the Act that contain nebulous and slimy concepts that are open to differing interpretations should be reviewed.
This article assesses the performances and challenges of television broadcasting in the democratization process in Nigeria. The historical discourse identifies both successes and challenges of both the military and civilian governments in the management of television broadcasting for the facilitation of democratization process. The successes achieved by the military governments centre on expansion of the industry while those recorded by the civilian governments had to do with consolidation of the expansion. The challenging aspect of television broadcasting under the military largely had to do with restricted access and operation along sectional lines. The civilian governments on the other hand politicized and introduced negative commercialization of television broadcasting. Also, under the civilian governments, television broadcasting is heavily involved in unethical practices. To use television broadcasting to contribute meaningfully to the democratization process in Nigeria, the paper recommends the strengthening of regulatory framework, making television broadcasting wholly an affair of the private sector, introducing the community television broadcasting project, and encouraging the civil societies and professional associations to advocate for best practices in the industry.
Children’s use of digital media is associated with risky experiences, a situation warranting parental mediation. Previous studies on parental mediation of children’s digital media use, conducted in advanced countries in Europe, America and Asia with rich experiences of children’s digital media use, examined only specific risks and rarely focused on effectiveness of the mediation strategies adopted. The present study investigated parental mediation of children’s risky experiences with digital media in an African setting, focused on four categories of risks and measured the effectiveness of adopted mediation strategies. Objectives of the study were to identify the mediation strategies parents applied in mediating risks (conduct, content, contact and commercial) encountered by children in the use of digital media, and ascertain the consequences of the mediation strategies. The study, a survey, used a sample of 265 parents drawn from a population 863 academic and non-academic staff members of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria. Parental Knowledge and Intervention in Children’s Risky Experiences with Digital Media Questionnaire (PKICREDMQ), designed by the researchers, and successfully scaled through validity and reliability tests, was used to generate data. Findings revealed that the parents adopted mainly two mediation strategies – restrictive and active
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