Mass Media in Africa’s Nascent Democracy: The West African Story

Abstract

The West African region and indeed Africa has not been very successful when it comes to the entrenchment of democratic values and indeed its gains for the people. Its governance history as well as the peculiar challenges such as poverty, corruption, abuse of office, illiteracy etc that have plagued the region are some of the realities it has had to deal with in its struggle to consolidate democracy. With these realities, the mass media overtime has evolved and remained resilient in its responsibility of providing wholesome information and as a platform for the discussions of political issues for the populace. This work examines the role of the mass media in consolidating democracy in West Africa. It focuses on Ghana and Nigeria; from 1993 and 1999 respectively, till date. The choice of these countries, is informed by the sustenance of their nascent democracies amidst challenges. It employed the secondary method of data analysis through the review of related literatures. Despite progresses made in the region, the media is still faced with challenges such as corruption, partisanship, violence towards journalists, lack of adequately trained media personnel etc. The work establishes that the role of the mass media in disseminating information and engaging citizens in meaningful debates on political issues is key in consolidating democracy in West Africa in subtle yet powerful ways. This study attempts to highlight the efforts of the West African mass media in entrenching democratic values in the region. This is because the absence of a competent media may jeopardize an enduring democracy. A synergy among governments, the mass media and indeed journalists towards tackling these problems faced by the mass media, can further empower the media in performing its role towards democratic consolidation in West Africa.