The mass media and the challenges of sustainable democratic values in Nigeria: possibilities and limitations

On 29 May 1999 Nigeria went from military autocracy and absolutism to civil rule. Since then Nigerians have focused on the challenges of nurturing and consolidating the nascent democracy. However, as crucial as the mass media is in all regions and climes vis-a-vis democratic processes, not much attention has been paid to the inhibiting factors in the mass media's bid to sustain Nigeria's democracy. The thrust of this article, therefore, is the selectivity of the media in its agenda-setting role. The article infers that regional, geo-political and ethnicist imperatives impact negatively on Nigeria's mass media. The strongest recommendation of this article is that the mass media needs a mindset and worldview that is much more robust and comprehensive than it currently is for it to be a catalyst in sustaining democratic values in a plural and divided society.