APPRAISAL OF HAZARDS IN JOURNALISM PRACTICE DURING CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATIONS IN NIGERIA (1999- 2019)

Justina Obafemi, Obiorah I Edogor

Abstract


There are serious hazards that are capable of discouraging people who want to join journalism practice in Nigeria and other countries of the world. This study examined the hazards in journalism practice during Nigeria’s democratic dispensation spanning the years from 1999 to 2019. It investigated the hazards which Nigerian journalists experienced within the two decades of uninterrupted civilian administration in the country. Survey research design was adopted with a population of three thousand and five registered journalists, with sample size of 121 drawn using Australian Calculator, whereas the questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Stratified random sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used in selection of the sample studied. The results of the investigation revealed that killing, kidnapping, maiming and physical assaults to media practitioners were the hazards journalists encountered in Nigeria within the period under review. Also, the results showed that physical assault ranks as the commonest hazard of journalism practice in Nigeria. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Nigerian journalists applied their skills and wealth of experience to mitigate or utterly avoid some of the possible hazards. The researchers’ recommendations include that: Nigerian journalism curriculum developers should include courses on safety measures for the hazards in media practice curricular. Also, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) was urged to canvass for enactment of laws making physical assault and kidnapping of journalists as criminal offences in the country.

Keywords


Civil rule; hazards; journalism; journalists; mass media; pro-media; press;

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.47851/naujocommed.v2i2.137

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Department of Mass Communication. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

ISSN:2756-486X (Online)