Virtual Kollage: GOVERNMENT

Showing posts with label GOVERNMENT. Show all posts

Posted by Chester Morton / Monday, 19 September 2022 / No comments

The pre-colonial political system of the Ga-Dangbe people of Ghana

<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Svd1M6ENTtI46pieFt1nXUp2JJlibrRBk2mEd8YRJLeXuhP3qZQG2tKXS7MPb6JP2GtZ12BDinTyI5q4AT7OcNHAN3m0zVzXRIkzZf_-nvWgpdmLsf4VPK8RdGYWKl3EIh7MFZlVYlT5smzI-2pqQXUuf0uE3wgS33V9B_htSmfInzr7_Ph82yvUw/s333/Ga%20Mantse.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5Svd1M6ENTtI46pieFt1nXUp2JJlibrRBk2mEd8YRJLeXuhP3qZQG2tKXS7MPb6JP2GtZ12BDinTyI5q4AT7OcNHAN3m0zVzXRIkzZf_-nvWgpdmLsf4VPK8RdGYWKl3EIh7MFZlVYlT5smzI-2pqQXUuf0uE3wgS33V9B_htSmfInzr7_Ph82yvUw/s320/Ga%20Mantse.PNG" width="262" /></a></div>                                                      <span style="font-size: x-small;">(The Ga Mantse: King Tachie Teiko Tsuru II)</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>The pre-colonial political
system of the Ga-Dangbe people of Ghana<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">The Ga-Dangbe people of Ghana are part of a wider Ga-Dangbe ethnic group occupying parts of the three West African countries of Ghana, Togo and Benin. In Ghana, currently, the Ga-Adangbe are mostly found in the Greater Accra and parts of the Eastern Region.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>The Chief Priest (Wulomei)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Initially, the Ga-Adangbe did not have a centralized system of administration because the various Ga states were independent of each other. Political power was reposed in the Chief Priest or fetish priest (Wulomei). He was a representative of the priestly class. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Chief Priest had a lot of authority when it came to both civil and religious matters. </span><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Later, the political and religious power which was centred in the Wulomei (Chief Priest) was separated and the Paramount Chief, from then, now wielded the political power while the Wulomei continued to wield religious authority. However, he still had some form of influence in administrative matters.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Aller; font-size: large; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The official functions of the Wulomei were to o</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Aller; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">fficiate public worship, calculate dates for Homowo, their annual festival, offer libations to the gods, perform purification ceremonies. He also interpreted the will of God to the people and prayed for them. He advised them and dealt with cases where his own god had been mentioned.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Aller; mso-bidi-font-family: "Open Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;"><b>The
Paramount Chief (Ga-Mantse)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">The six independent towns of Teshi, Nungua, Tema, La, Osu and Ga Mashi, all had a chief called Mantse. These chiefs were responsible for the administration of their respective towns. These six towns were organised into a paramountcy headed by the Ga Mantse or the Paramount Chief. The Paramount Chief was responsible for the civil and administrative matters in the entire paramountcy.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;"><b>Town
Chiefs<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Each of the six towns was headed by a chief called Mantse. The Mantse was responsible for the running of the town under him. The town has a stool which was a symbol of authority. Though the towns were independent, their chiefs owed allegiance to the Paramount Chief.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;"><b>Heads
of Akutsei (quarters)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Each of the independent towns were further divided into quarters, called Akutso, the plural being Akutsei. The Akutsei were administered by a chief. </span><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">All the heads of the quarters or Akutsei were chiefs (Mantse) with the same rank as the Mantse of the towns. As a result, they also constituted part of the Ga paramountcy. The Paramount Chief comes from the Abola quarter or Akutso.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;"><b>Heads
of family (Wei)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;">The family is the fundamental level of the political structure of the Ga people. The families, which were patrilineal, were headed by elders and they were responsible for the affairs of the family.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">The
Adangbe people</b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;">The Adangbe, on the other hand, are constituted into seven groups, the peoples of Kpone, Ningo, Prampram, Krobo, Ada, Shai and Osu-Doku.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;">Like their brothers, the Ga people, they did not have chiefs or kings in the early stages. They were ruled by a theocracy. Their leaders were the priests. The institution of chieftaincy among the Adangbe was as a result of their interaction with other tribes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;">The chieftaincy institution had been clearly established before the coming of the colonialists.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">The
paramount Chiefs</b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Each of the 7 groups has a paramountcy headed by the Paramount Chief. The chief has administrative jurisdiction over all the towns under the paramountcy. The chief in the various towns owe allegiance to the Paramount Chief.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: medium;"><b>Sub-chiefs<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Each of the towns constituting the paramount area, was headed by a sub-chief who was responsible for the general welfare of the people.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;"><b>Clan Heads</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Several clans came together to constitute a town. There were clan heads in charge of the welfare of the clan members </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">Family
heads</b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller; font-size: large;">There are many families within each clan. These extended family structures were led by a family head known as the Head of Family. The head of family is responsible for the welfare and safety of the family members.  Misunderstandings and family disputes are brought before him for adjudication.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller;"><o:p> <a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to home page</a></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Aller;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in government>></a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of subjects>></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/2017/10/-the-pre-colonial-political-structure-of-the-ewe-ethnic-group-of-ghana.html" target="_blank">The pre-colonial political system of the Ewe</a><br /></p>

The pre-colonial political system of the Ga-Dangbe people of Ghana

(The Ga Mantse: King Tachie Teiko Tsuru II) The pre-colonial political system of the...

Home GOVERNMENT

Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday, 30 August 2022 / No comments

What are the factors that hinder free and fair elections

<div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjril_MAvMSlRLmcUfW-9I2eWLjUoeqKANYkXSCWXJ7Tz1wiLs9v0R60ogWtt4VrVsxBZ8bBw9zepXRXaYLlnntrmsbN7TVC3FKZUmM8QjvbPxZwu6FYjaIs-K8FkBGztlKUVQw4ItV17mzbE_ONpLqez1xvx17uixPnxQoaqfphFbwimYZs72qPEWS6w/s1920/mural-g5fb81f171_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1920" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjril_MAvMSlRLmcUfW-9I2eWLjUoeqKANYkXSCWXJ7Tz1wiLs9v0R60ogWtt4VrVsxBZ8bBw9zepXRXaYLlnntrmsbN7TVC3FKZUmM8QjvbPxZwu6FYjaIs-K8FkBGztlKUVQw4ItV17mzbE_ONpLqez1xvx17uixPnxQoaqfphFbwimYZs72qPEWS6w/w402-h192/mural-g5fb81f171_1920.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div></b></div><div><b>WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT HINDER FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS?</b></div>Recent elections in Africa have been marred by violence, deaths, allegations of vote-rigging and manipulation of election results. In the 2020 <a href="https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2020/12/19/eight-people-killed-during-ghana-2020-elections-police/" target="_blank">general elections in Ghana</a>, eight people lost their lives in several parts of the country. In Kenya, in the <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/missing-kenyan-election-official-found-dead/6703458.html" target="_blank">2022 presidential elections,</a> one presiding officer went missing and was later found death. <div><br /></div><div>According to Fatos Nano, “Organizing free and fair election is more important than the results itself.” Fatos Nano is an Albanian socialist politician who was a former Prime Minister of Albania. It is easy to accept election results when all the stakeholders involved if the electoral field is levelled for every player. </div><div><br /></div><div>If the electoral environment is not levelled enough for all participants, it hinders free and fair elections.
There are several factors which may hinder free and fair elections in any country.
</div><div><br /></div><div><b>FACTORS THAT HINDER FREE AND FAIR ELECTION</b></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><i><b>The absence of a free and independent Electoral Commission</b></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">One of the conditions that can hinder free and fair election is the absence of a free and independent Electoral Commission. At every stage of the electoral process, the Electoral Commission must be left alone in the conduct of its constitutionally mandated duties, without any interference from any political player(s). </span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><b>The absence of a strong and independent judiciary</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Another factor that can hinder free and fair elections is the absence of an independent judiciary. A strong and independent judiciary is necessary because it is able to settle any electoral dispute that may arise and be brought before them. It is their duty to settle all electoral disputes impartially so that all parties to the dispute is satisfied. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><b><i>The absence of an independent press</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">To ensure a free and fair election, all media houses must be free and independent in order to be able to hold people accountable for their actions. The absence of this free and independent press can hinder the success of the elections and prevent the press from </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">carrying out their duties as the fourth arm of government.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><i>Absence of free access to the media</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Where the media is free and independent, every political party must be given equal access to the media. No political party should be prevented from getting access to the media to disseminate its political manifesto or programmes. The presence of free media access will ensure that every stakeholder is able to put its case before the electorates. The absence of a free and fair media can hinder free and fair elections.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><i><b>The absence of independent international observers during the election</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The presence of independent international observers during a general election gives some credibility to the elections. In addition to every other factor that engenders a free and fair election, the presence of international observers adds some icing to the cake. The absence of these international election observers, therefore, can hinder free and fair elections. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is the duty of the ruling government to invite international observers into the country to observe the processes before, during and after the election.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><i><b>The absence of Universal Adult Suffrage</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Universal adult suffrage, also known variously as, universal franchise or general suffrage, enjoins that every qualified citizen of the state is allowed to vote. They should not be discriminated against based on their religion, race, ethnic background, language, level of education, sex, or political persuasion. Where people are discriminated against, it has the tendency of hindering free and fair elections.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><b>SAMPLE QUESTION(S)</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">1. What are the conditions necessary for free and fair elections?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">2. What factors can hinder free and fair election?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to home page</a><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in government>></a><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2016/12/conditions-for-free-and-fair-election.html" target="_blank">Also read "What are the conditions necessary for free and fair elections"</a><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div></div>

What are the factors that hinder free and fair elections

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT HINDER FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS? Recent elections in Africa have been marred by violence, deaths, allegations of vo...

Home GOVERNMENT , HISTORY

Posted by Chester Morton / Thursday, 12 November 2020 / No comments

The benefits that member-states derive from their membership of the United Nations Organization

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/united-nations-un-vienna-un-city-3760656/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0a88d3; cursor: pointer; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img alt="United Nations, Un, Vienna, Un City" data-lazy="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/10/20/11/50/united-nations-3760656__340.jpg" data-lazy-srcset="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/10/20/11/50/united-nations-3760656__340.jpg 1x, https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/10/20/11/50/united-nations-3760656__480.jpg 2x" height="134" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/10/20/11/50/united-nations-3760656__340.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: currentcolor; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; border-left-color: currentColor; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: currentColor; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: none; border-top-color: currentColor; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>THE
BENEFITS COUNTRIES DERIVE FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ORGANIZATION</b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Introduction</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The
United Nations Organization (UNO) came into existence, officially, on the 24<sup>th</sup>
of October, 1945. The main reason for its establishment  is to ensure the maintenance of peace and security in the world. Initially, 50 countries signed a charter, now called, United Nations
Charter. Then, Poland, which was not at the meeting at the time, signed later
to become the 51<sup>st</sup> nation to sign marking the beginning
of the existence of the UNO.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Currently,
there are 193 members, together with two others who do not have
membership status but rather the status of observer nations. These are the
state of Palestine and the Holy See (a jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome).</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Why
do states want to become or remain members of this august body? What is in it
for them? Listed below are some of the benefits nations derive from their
membership of the United Nations Organization and why it is on the wish list of the
nations of the world.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Note,
however, that the United Nations will not sit down unconcerned when conflict,
famine or any natural calamity erupts in any part of the world because that
nation does not belong to the body. They will find a way to help to bring the
situation under control. For example, Palestine does not have an official membership in
the UN but there will be an intervention from the body if any conflict erupts
in that region.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Prevention
of conflict</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">One of the major reasons
for the establishment of the UN is to ensure the prevention of
conflicts. The United Nations Charter, which was coming after the failure of
the League of Nations to prevent the Secord World War, has a central role of
conflict prevention. Though the role of the United Nations is conflict prevention
does not usually appear in the frontpages of global newspapers, the
organization has been effective in preventing many violent conflicts. Various
tools are deployed in engaging local, national and international political
actors to find peace before they escalate into conflicts. </span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The United Nations,
through the Security Council has intervened to prevent conflicts from
occurring. Where there is a threat to peace, and the Security Council gets wind
of it, it first recommends that parties settle cases by peaceful means.
Member-countries benefit from membership of the UN when mediation by the
Security Council helps to avert armed conflict in their countries. </span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Peace keeping</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In a situation where the
Security Council, after trying its best, is unable to prevent the conflict from
occurring, they are able to use UN Peace-keeping soldiers to restore peace and
keep it from further escalating. The UN has been in Lebanon, Bosnia, Darfur,
etc to restore and maintain peace. Member-states benefit from their membership
of the UN in times of violent conflicts where both sides of the conflict refuse
to see reason.  </span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Conflict resolution</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Member-states of the
United Nations benefit from their membership in the area of conflict
resolution. This is able to prevent unnecessary conflicts on the world stage. A
very recent case is the near conflict between Ghana and la Cote D’voire when
the latter accused the former of exploring for oil in her territorial waters.
This matter was taken to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
(ITLOS) for redress. Membership of the UN therefore helps member-countries to
resolve conflicts in peaceful ways and to avoid unnecessary wars.</span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Food aid to affected
countries</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The United Nations has
provided food aid to countries experiencing food shortages. Another benefit of
belonging to the world organization is that, during food shortages or severe
famine, countries can count on the Food and Agricultural Organization and the
World Food Programmes, all of the United Nations to distribute food aid to
affected areas. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) was established by
the United Nations with the sole mandate of defeating hunger. A membership of
the United Nations will ensure that the FAO intervein before countries slip
into famine due to conflict and other economic, political or natural factors.</span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Health benefits through
the World Health Organization (WHO)</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Another way in which
countries benefit from their membership of the UN is the global fight of the
international body against diseases, epidemics and pandemics. A very recent
fight is the fight against Coronavirus. The
World Health Organization, which is an agency within the United Nations. It took a leading role, giving policy advise and direction to the entire world. Many countries received monetary assistance from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Even before the advent of Covid19, the UN has been in a prolong fight against
malaria, which is devastating African countries mostly. It has also been
instrumental in the fight against ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). In 2019, for example, the UN, in conjunction with other Non-governmental
Organizations, contained the spread of ebola in the North Kivu Province of DRC.</span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Promotion of human
rights</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Another benefit of the
membership of the United Nations is the promotion and respect for human rights
in member-countries. There are universal values such as the right to life, free
speech, the right to engage in legitimate business etc which every member of
the United Nations is enjoined to adhere to. Any violations of these values by
member countries is frowned upon and some members could be sanctioned for
breaches. So membership of the UN helps to promote the value for human rights
in member countries.</span></span><span style="background: white;"></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Recognition of statehood</i></b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The
United Nations Organization, does not have the power to confer statehood on a
country. It does not also have the authority to recognize a state or a
government. However, one of the ways of receiving recognition from other
members of the comity of nations, is to become a member of the United Nations. One
of the benefits of a membership of the United Nations is, therefore, to be
recognized by other nations of the world.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Trial
of war criminals</i> </b></span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Countries
which have experienced war, where citizens suffered atrocities in the
hands of their leaders or other political players, have the opportunity of
getting people involved in the atrocities tried as war criminals. This is also a
benefit of a country belonging to the UN.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Such
trials are able to bring closure to those who suffered during violent conflicts.
The victims of war are able to talk about the horrible things they saw and
experienced. Countries which belong to the United Nations ensure that those who
are responsible for atrocities during armed conflicts are made to pay for their
deeds. For example, the former Yugoslavia version of the International Criminal Tribunal brought people who were responsible for war crimes during the Balkans conflict to justice. Also, the former President of Liberia was tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) for his alleged support for the activities of two rebel groups in Sierra Leone. The SCSL was established by the government of Sierra Leone and the Unted Nations Organization. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Conclusion</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Above are some of the reasons why the nations of the world wish to become members of the United Nations Organization, a prestigious club where the comity of nations gather, annually, to deliberate on the issues of the world.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /></p>

The benefits that member-states derive from their membership of the United Nations Organization

THE BENEFITS COUNTRIES DERIVE FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION Introduction The United Nations Organization (U...

Home GOVERNMENT

Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday, 14 April 2019 / No comments

The impact of mass media on Sierra Leonean politics

<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Web, Networking, Earth, Continents" height="285" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/06/03/09/25/network-1433036__340.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>THE IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON SIERRA LEONEAN POLITICS</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Introduction</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12pt;">Mass media activities began in Sierra Leone around the
nineteenth century and naturally, the capital, Freetown, became a standard
destination for journalists living and practicing in the continent. By the 1930s,
there were two main varieties of mass media in Sierra Leone: these were the
print and also the broadcast media. It is calculable that about 85% of the
Sierra Leonean population has access to radio and 72% of them listen to the
radio on a daily basis. This is not however so for alternative varieties of
mass media.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Other varieties of mass media, like the TV and the internet,
was later introduced. The TV was introduced in 1963 and the net much
later. Television viewership is extremely low in Sierra Leone, except in the national
capital and a few other major cities. The internet, on the other hand, has a
terribly low coverage therefore access is extremely low.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON THE POLITICS OF SIERRA LEONE</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Contribution toward independence</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the ways in which mass media has impacted politics in
Sierra Leone is its contribution toward the attainment of political
independence. As the first colony in West Africa to introduce newspaper, the
media in pre-independent Sierra Leone helped to arouse a lot of political
interest and activity within the country. This, in a way, galvanized the people to sustain the demand for independence until it was granted by the British
colonial powers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Dissemination of credible and reliable information</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another area in which mass media has impacted the politics of
Sierra Leone is in the dissemination of credible and reliable information to the
viewing, listening and reading public. Though there are some media houses which
violate the red line every now and then, invariably, the work of the media has
contributed to the relative peace that the country has enjoyed so far.
Having just come out of a brutal and prolonged Civil War, any deliberate misinformation
that can plunge the country into another kind of problem is strictly avoided.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Sustenance of democracy</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mass media has been covering elections since the end of the
Civil War. They have been able to police every election since to ensure that
only the true will of the people of Sierra Leone is upheld. In other words, the
mass media has contributed to the sustenance of the fledgling democracy in the
country since the end of the Civil War.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Universe, Earth, World, At, Mail, Email" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/03/01/11/16/universe-654566__340.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Prevention of dictatorship</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">It can be seen from the earlier point that the media, in
sustaining democracy in the country would never allow any individual to impose
him or herself on the people. Anybody who would try to do that would be opposed
and fought through the power of the pen until that idea is jettisoned. In the
end, therefore, the mass media is helping to prevent any dictator from emerging
on the political landscape in Sierra Leone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Fighting corruption</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The mass media in Sierra Leone has also been in the forefront
against corruption. The media houses have exposed corrupt practices in that
country and anything that smells fishy is brought to the public. Government
officials and Civil Servants are put on their toes regarding the running of their respective
portfolio. All these have kept the level of corruption in the country lower than
it would have been if the media was inactive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Protection of the Fundamental Human Rights of the people</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Fundamental Human Rights of the people is guaranteed in the
Constitution of the Republic of Sierra Leone and needs to be guarded as such.
The mass media, in addition to other entities, works to ensure that the rights
of the people are protected at all times. Any infringement on the rights of any
individual citizen is taken up by the media and they push for such infringement
to be addressed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Uniting the nation</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Last but not least, mass media has impacted on the politics of
Sierra Leone trying to bring the entire nation together. As a
people who have witnessed what war can do to a nation, one of the last things
the country would like to return to is war. The media has tried to be a gatekeeper
to ensure that nothing in their day to day interaction would ever drive them into
Civil War again. This way, mass media keeps the nation together, even if the
unity gets fragile at certain points.</span></div>
<br />
<b>ALSO READ:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-definition-and-characteristics-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The characteristics of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-advantages-or-importance-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The advantages of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/04/the-disadvantages-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The disadvantages of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/04/A-brief-history-of-mass-media-in-Nigeria-and-its-impact-on-the-politics-of-Nigeria.html" target="_blank">The impact of mass media on Nigerian politics</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to Home Page</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in Government>></a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of other subjects>></a>

The impact of mass media on Sierra Leonean politics

THE IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON SIERRA LEONEAN POLITICS Introduction Mass media activities began in Sierra Leone around the nineteenth c...

The impact of mass media on Nigerian politics

<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Social Media, Laptop, Notebook, Blog" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/11/29/19/23/social-media-550778__340.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>THE IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON NIGERIAN POLITICS </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Introduction</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The genesis of modern mass media in Nigeria dates back to the
mid-19<sup>th</sup> century with the establishment of a Yoruba newspaper in
1859 called Iwe Iroyin by Reverend Henry Townsend. Iwe Iroyin was the only news
media to operate in the whole of Nigeria at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Political players like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi
Azikiwe, in the years leading to Nigerian independence, also established
newspapers to promote their political convictions and that of their followers.
After independence, the federal government established The Morning Post
newspaper to counteract the negative reportage of the private press at the
time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">As part of the World Bank’s Structural Adjustment Programme, the
Gen. Babangida government loosened its grip on the airwaves and this led to the
establishment of privately owned radio and television stations. Today, there
are about one hundred newspapers, four hundred radio stations and over one
hundred television stations in Nigeria. This is in addition to other mediums of
mass media like news websites on the internet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON NIGERIAN POLITICS</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Contribution to the attainment of independence</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the foremost impacts of the mass media in Nigeria is its
contribution to the attainment of independence. The mass media helped in no
small measure to galvanize the people to support the early nationalists who
wanted the British to grant independence to the colony of Nigeria. Eventually,
the British Empire had to relinquish their hold on Nigeria by granting
independence on 1<sup>st</sup> October 1960.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Fight wrong government policies and programmes</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another contribution of the mass media in Nigeria has been their
fight against the introduction of wrong policies by successive governments of
the day. In the same vein, they helped to assess the performance of the
governments and other public functionaries appointed by the ruling government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Send the military back to the barracks</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Nigerian mass media was also in the forefront to steer the
nation back to civilian rule after several years of the military dictatorship in
which that of Gen. Abacha was notoriously ruthless. At the peril of their very
lives, the Nigerian journalist was able to use the medium of the mass media to
oppose the military establishment. In the end, under Gen. Babangida, the world
had to force the soldiers to go back to their barracks. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Blog, Corporate, Internet, Auszutausch" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2012/10/21/07/46/blog-62279__340.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Sustenance of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The mass media in Nigeria has so far helped Nigeria to sustain
its young democracy. This has been largely achieved because the Nigerian press
has kept faith with the people and acted as the fourth realm of the estate. Any
violation or potential violation of the constitution is quickly reported in the
dailies and the government of the day is forced to concede. Without the
presence of the Nigerian mass media, the current democracy could not have been
as successful as it is today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Helps citizens to make informed decisions</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Through mass media, the people were given political
enlightenment, for example, concerning the </span>manifestos<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> of the various political
parties in the country. They highlighted the various policies of the parties
and assessed their candidates to see if they were suitable for the position
they were gunning for. This way, the citizens were able to make a good choice
on the people available to them at the time of voting. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Mouth-piece of the people</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The mass media has also served as the mouth-piece of the people
of Nigeria. The press has been able to carry on its tiny shoulders the opinions
of both the weak and the strong. With their help, the people are able to
express their opinion on any government policy and criticize or support it. The
parties in opposition are given the voice to express their views on government
activities. This way the people are able to influence the decisions that are
arrived at by their governments and the import of those decisions are known and
owned by them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Human rights advocate</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Nigerian mass media has contributed to Nigerian politics
through their fight for the rights of the people. The ordinary man has the hope
and belief that when his or her rights are trampled upon by an operative of
the ruling government, the media houses can take the matter up and fight for
the infringement to be redressed. In other words, any abuse of the rights of an
individual is brought into the limelight for the right thing to be done.</span></div>
<br />
<b>ALSO READ:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-definition-and-characteristics-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The definition and characteristics of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-advantages-or-importance-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The advantages of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/04/the-disadvantages-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The disadvantages of mass media</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to Home Page</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in Government>></a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of other subjects>></a>

The impact of mass media on Nigerian politics

THE IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON NIGERIAN POLITICS Introduction The genesis of modern mass media in Nigeria dates back to the mid-19 th ...

Home GOVERNMENT

Posted by Chester Morton / Friday, 12 April 2019 / No comments

The disadvantages of mass media

<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><img alt="Film, Photo, Slides, Cinema" height="285" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/14/08/18/film-1668918__340.jpg" width="640" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>THE DISADVANTAGES OF MASS MEDIA</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a;"><b><i>Introduction</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mass media can be defined as the communication medium that can
be used to reach a greater portion of a nation or the world in an instant. In
short, any means by which the bulk of the people receive information is
regarded as a mass media. Note that any form of mass media reaches thousands,
millions and sometimes billions of people at one go. A few examples of a mass
media include, but are not limited to, newspapers, radio, television, the
internet and now SMS messaging.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mass media is categorized into the print media, broadcast media, and digital media. The print media refers to newspapers, magazines, and journals. It may also include books and pamphlets that are widely
circulated. The broadcast media refers to the radio and finally, the digital media
comprises the internet and the mobile phone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">In some respects, the media has failed the citizens of various
countries. In some instances, the media has reneged on their watchdog role,
thereby leaving the people to the mercy of the government of the day and other
state actors. Some other ways in which the media has failed the people are
discussed in the paragraphs below.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>THE DISADVANTAGES OF MASS MEDIA</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>May lead to individualism</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of the disadvantages of mass media is that the citizens
may degenerate into individualism. Personal interaction with humans become less
and less. This is because the people tend to spend too much of their time
engrossed in what they are doing on the internet or watching interesting
programmes on television that they have little quality time to spend quality with
other human beings. It is common to go for a meeting and as the attendees are
waiting for the commencement of the meeting, they are busy chatting on their
phones instead of chatting with people who are physically present.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Old Tv, Records, Vhs Tapes, Retro, Tv" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/01/19/16/49/old-tv-1149416__340.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Unsuitable content for children</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Another disadvantage of mass media is that some of the content
that is spewed out for the viewing public is not suitable for the consumption
of children. This becomes difficult for parents who may not be at home all the
time or have others to supervise the children. Some measures have been taken to
limit the access of the children to such adult content but sometimes, the
limitations can be broken as the children seem to know a few tricks more than their parents. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>It may not be accessible to everybody</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">One other disadvantage of mass media is that it may not be available
to everyone. Newspapers, for example, depend on sales in addition to
advertisements to keep making a profit. For this reason, where sales are very low,
the media house may stop sending their papers there. In other words, newspapers are
geographically selective. In the case of television and radio houses, people
can only tune in where the signals are present. Therefore, though the mass
media is supposed to be available to all, it may not necessarily be available
to everybody because of technical shortcomings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>A decrease in national productivity</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The mass media contributes toward the reduction in national
productivity. Some of the programmes are so interesting and long that people
may devote precious time to watching these programmes to the detriment of being
productive. An example is the soap opera that people devote at least one hour
of every day to watching. This one hour could be used profitably or channeled
into other productive work but this is not always the case. It is now a common
thing to see television sets placed at workplaces. This may distract workers
from operating at their optimum.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Does not express the general opinions of the masses</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The mass media has been touted as one of the best tools to gouge
the opinions of the people on a particular issue at a particular time. However,
this may not always be the case. There are cases in which the opinion that is
expressed in the media is not the opinion of the people. Sometimes it is the
views of the people who control the media. These controllers may be politicians
or even just business people who want to determine the direction of an issue in
the public domain. Such people are able to skew the direction of public
discourse to suit their parochial interests. So what comes out as the views of
the public are not necessarily the views of the public but that of just a
select few.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Give a semblance of legitimacy to drugs and alcohol</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some television stations and their content are such that the use
of drugs and alcohol is commonplace. This makes it seem as if the use of such
products is okay for everybody when in actual fact their use could be
dangerous to the health of consumers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Sometimes people are not what they claim they are</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">People can be faceless on the internet and claim to be who they are
not. Successful businessmen have been defrauded through their interaction with
purported businessmen on the internet. In other words, the mass media has
become a den of </span>impostors<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and fraudsters.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Internet, Whatsapp, Smartphone" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/01/28/10/59/internet-3113279__340.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>It could be used to malign the character of people</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since the reach of the mass media is wide and vast, some people
can use it for mischief. A damaging story planted anywhere in the mass media
can damage the reputation of an individual in an instant. Even where an apology
is rendered, not everybody would have gotten to read the apology and the
retraction of the story. The image of the victim may be dented for a long time
to come. There are laws on libel but a fake account could be created to cause
the damage and this may be difficult to trace.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Advertisement can be a nuisance to viewing and reading pleasure</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Media houses make their money mainly through advertisements. For
this reason, they have to lace their programmes with paid adverts. Sometimes
these adverts become a nuisance to the viewing public if it is a television and
a nuisance to readers if it is a newspaper. A reader may buy a newspaper only to
realize that more than a quarter of the newspaper is advertisements. This may
limit his or her ability to enjoy reading the paper. In other words, the way
media houses have increased advertisement on their networks have made their
mediums less and less attractive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><b>Negative health implications</b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">The prolong use of mass media, especially, the radio, television, and the internet is causing health problems to people. It has now been medically
proven that prolonged exposure to the television and computer screen can
affect a person’s eyesight. In other words, watching television over a long
period of time or using the computer for prolonged periods of time can cause
eyesight problems.</span></div>
<br />
<b>ALSO READ:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-definition-and-characteristics-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The definition and characteristics of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-advantages-or-importance-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The importance of mass media</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to Home Page</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics on Government>></a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of other subjects>></a>

The disadvantages of mass media

THE DISADVANTAGES OF MASS MEDIA Introduction Mass media can be defined as the communication medium that can be used to reach a great...

Home GOVERNMENT

Posted by Chester Morton / Saturday, 23 March 2019 / No comments

The definition and characteristics of mass media

<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Web, Networking, Earth, Continents" height="265" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/01/13/08/30/network-3079789__340.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>THE DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MASS MEDIA<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>Definition of mass media<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mass media can be defined as the communication medium that can
be used to reach a greater portion of a nation or the world in an instant. In
short, any means by which the bulk of the people receive information is
regarded as a mass media. Note that any form of mass media reaches thousands,
millions and sometimes billions of people at one go. A few examples of a mass
media include, but are not limited to, newspapers, radio, television, the
internet and now SMS messaging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mass media is categorized into the print media, broadcast media
and the digital media. The print media refers to the newspapers, magazines
and journals. It may also include books and pamphlets that are widely
circulated. The broadcast media refers to the radio and finally, the digital
media comprises the internet and the mobile phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;">For the mass media to be identified as such; there are certain
distinguishing characteristics which it must or mostly conform to. Some of these
characteristics are discussed below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A MASS MEDIA<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>It is a one-way communication<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One major characteristic of mass media is that the traffic flows
in only one direction that is, from the material source to the consumers. The
audience listens or reads but cannot give responses instantaneously. This may
be so because the audience is far away from the source of the news. A media
house in London, the British Broadcasting Corporation, for example, could
broadcast to reach the entire globe. Canal France International same thing,
broadcasting from Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Today, however,
with technology, people may react to radio and television programmes through
text messages, emails, phone-in, Facebook or WhatsApp to mention just a few. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Reaches a large audience<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another characteristic of mass media is that it can reach a
large number of audiences at the same time. The inauguration of the 45<sup>th</sup>
president of the United States of America was broadcast to reach millions of
viewers. A boxing fight can also be beamed to reach millions of people all
around the world. Millions of people can tune into a radio pragramme. Mass
media, therefore, has a very large audience base.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Influences society<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mass media also influences the society in it operates or the
people who listen to it. They can help to shape the opinion of people on a
particular issue. In the Rwandan genocide, the radio was used extensively to
influence Hutus to kill the Tutsis and this was widely adhered to. On the other
hand, the audience can also influence the media houses. If the audience expresses
an opinion on an issue published or broadcast by a mass media house, it could
influence the way the media house may have thought about the issue previously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Radio, Old, Tube Radio, Nostalgia" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/20/13/46/radio-1682531__340.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old tube radio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Reaches varying types of people<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, the mass media reaches a wide spectrum of audience. This
is so because people of different ages, religious persuasion, political
leanings, and professions tune into the station. The types of people, who
listen to a radio programme, watch a television show or read a newspaper publication
cannot be pre-determined by the media house. On the internet, however, children
can be prevented from visiting certain adult sites. This may be the exception.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><b>Scattered audience <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The target group of a media house are scattered all over the
world. In other words, they do not live in the same community. A listener in
Kaduna can tune into a programme that is being broadcast from Lagos. The
audiences are distributed along a wide geographical area. A television station
in Freetown is able to broadcast to entire Sierra Leone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>SAMPLE QUESTION(S)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. a. What is the mass media?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">    </span>b. Highlight six
characteristics of mass media.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>ALSO READ:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/03/the-advantages-or-importance-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The importance of mass media</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2019/04/the-disadvantages-of-mass-media.html" target="_blank">The disadvantages of mass media</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to Home Page</a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in government>></a><br />
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of other subjects>></a><br />
<br />

The definition and characteristics of mass media

THE DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MASS MEDIA Definition of mass media Mass media can be defined as the communication medium that...

Home GOVERNMENT

Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday, 4 November 2018 / No comments

The reasons why Nigeria opted for a republican state in 1963

<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Judge Hammer Judgement Court Council Crime" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/08/11/23/54/judge-1587300__340.jpg" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>THE REASONS WHY NIGERIA OPTED FOR A REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION IN 1963<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Introduction</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960, the constitution still had some elements of dependency since the Queen of England was still the ceremonial Head of State, represented by the Governor-General. In order to change this structure and make the country a republic, there was a need for an entirely new constitution. Some of the other reasons why there was a need to change to a republic are discussed below.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>REASONS WHY NIGERIA CHOSE TO BECOME A REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><b>Need for a Nigerian constitution<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The 1960 independent constitution of Nigeria was largely
drawn by their colonial master, the British and handed over to them. Nigeria
wanted a constitution that was made in Nigeria by Nigerians. Apart from that,
Nigeria wanted to allocate more powers to the Prime Minister of the nation,
Nigeria wanted to create new regions and needed constitutional clarification
to do so. Under the 1960 constitution, this could not be easily done, hence
the need for a new constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Remove the last vestige of colonialism<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another reason why Nigeria opted for a republican
constitution was to remove the Queen as their Head of State. The 1960
independent constitution, crafted by the British, provided for a bicephalous
executive where the Queen of England remained the Head of State. Since the
Queen could not be physically present in Nigeria, a Governor-General was
appointed to replace her in Lagos. The Nigerians felt that since they had
attained independence, it was not good enough for the Queen to remain the Head
of State.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Highest Court of Appeal to be in Nigeria<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another reason why Nigeria decided to become a republic was
that they wanted to remove the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council based in
London from remaining the highest Court of Appeal for Nigeria in judicial
matters. Under the 1960 independent constitution of Nigeria, a Supreme Court
was provided for but anybody who was not satisfied with a ruling of the Supreme court in Nigeria could still appeal the decision at the Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council sitting in London for a final redress. Nigeria felt there was the
need to remove this and make the Supreme Court in Nigeria the highest Court of
Appeal in judicial matters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Justice Law Case Hearing Old Skin Book Boo" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/07/11/11/10/law-1509437__340.jpg" /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><b>Response to the wind of political change<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, Nigeria could have been reacting to the wind of political
change blowing in the sub-region and elsewhere in former British
colonies. Ghana had already attained a republican status about three years
earlier. Long before Ghana opted for a republican status and had gotten it, Burma
(Myanmar), India and Pakistan had already become republics. Nigeria may just
have been responding to the political changes that were going on in the former
colonies of Britain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><b>Membership of the Commonwealth of Nations<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Commonwealth of Nations was one of the major sources of
funding for the newly independent colonies in West Africa. The Nigerians soon
realized that the attainment of a republican status was not going to affect
their membership of the Commonwealth or the flow of financial assistance thereof. They must have looked at Ghana and seen that their attainment of
republican status did not affect them in any negative way as far as their
membership of the Commonwealth was concerned. This must have gingered them to
call for republican status.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>SAMPLE QUESTION(S)</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.Highlight the reasons why Nigeria opted for a republican constitution</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>ALSO READ:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2018/05/the-major-features-of-1963-Republican-constitution-of-Nigeria.html" target="_blank">The major features of the 1963 constitution of Nigeria</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to Home Page</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in Government>></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of subjects>></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />

The reasons why Nigeria opted for a republican state in 1963

THE REASONS WHY NIGERIA OPTED FOR A REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION IN 1963 Introduction When Nigeria gained independence from Britain in ...

Home GOVERNMENT

Posted by Chester Morton / Saturday, 3 November 2018 / No comments

The independence of the judiciary under the 1960 republican constitution of Ghana

<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Law Books Legal Court Lawyer Judge Justice" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/01/18/22/06/law-1991004__340.jpg" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY UNDER THE 1960 REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION OF GHANA<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Introduction<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The 1960 republican constitution of Ghana made provisions for
the establishment of a judiciary after the coming into effect of the
constitution. It provided that there must be High Courts and Lower Courts. It
also decided the types of cases that each category of courts can adjudicate in.
The constitution provided that the courts must settle disputes, interpret the
laws of the land; punish those who break the law among other things. In order
for the judiciary to be protected enough for them to diligently perform their
functions, the constitution provided for their protection. The prescriptions
that the 1960 constitution provided for the protection of the judiciary are
discussed below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>HOW THE 1960 REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION ENSURED THE INDEPENDENCE
OF THE JUDICIARY<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Determination of salaries<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In order to ensure the independence of the judiciary, the
1960 republican constitution provided that the legislature must determine the
salaries, allowances, and gratuities of the judiciary. Ordinarily, this should
put the judiciary at the mercy of the legislature but the constitution further
provided that once the salaries are determined; they cannot be varied again to
the detriment of the judiciary. If there should be any adjustment at all, it can
only be done upwards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Appointment, Promotion, and dismissal<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The 1960 constitution made provisions for one of the judges
of the Supreme Court to be appointed as the Chief Justice by the president of
the republic. The constitution also provided that by an instrument of the
President Seal, the Chief Justice’s appointment could be revoked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Remuneration<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another way in which the 1960 republican constitution ensured
the independence of the judiciary was that their salaries and allowances were to be paid from the Consolidated Fund.
Consolidated Fund is the term that is commonly used to refer to the main account
of the government. The government’s receivables are paid into this account. It
is out of this account that the salaries and allowances of the judges were to be paid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><img alt="Judge Hammer Judgement Court Council Crime" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/08/11/23/54/judge-1587300__340.jpg" /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Tenure of office<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If the judiciary is assured of their job, that they cannot be
sacked from office for no apparent reason, it helps them to feel secure. The
1960 republican constitution made provisions for the secured tenure of the
judiciary. Under the constitution, only the president of the republic could
dismiss a judge. However, the president could only do that after a resolution
of the National Assembly and supported by 2/3 of the Members. Even then, this
could only happen upon stated misbehavior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>The entrenchment of the clause on the security of judges<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, the independence of the judiciary was ensured by the entrenchment of the relevant clauses on the security of the judges. The
constitution further provided that if any of the entrenched clauses were to be reviewed,
it must be determined in a national referendum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Separation from other arms of government<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In order to ensure the independence of the judiciary under the
1966 republican constitution of Ghana, the judiciary was separated from the
other organs of government such as the legislature and the executive. In the
exception of the president also being a member of the National Assembly, the three
arms of government were separated under the constitution. No member of the
executive or the legislature was a member of the judiciary. This ensured that
the judiciary was independent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>SAMPLE QUESTION(S)</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. How did the 1960 republican constitution ensure the independence of the judiciary?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>ALSO READ:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2018/10/five-reasons-why-Ghana-decided-to-become-a-Republican-state.html" target="_blank">The reasons why Ghana opted to become a republic</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2018/10/the-features-of-1960-republican-constitution-of-Ghana.html" target="_blank">Features of the 1960 republican constitution of Ghana</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/2018/10/The-functions-and-powers-of-president-under-the-1960-Republican-constitution-of-Ghana.html" target="_blank">Functions and powers of the president under the 1960 republican constitution of Ghana</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.virtualkollage.com/" target="_blank"><<Back to Home Page</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/government_30.html" target="_blank">Go to other topics in government>></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.virtualkollage.com/p/list-of-subjects.html" target="_blank">Go to the list of other subjects>></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />

The independence of the judiciary under the 1960 republican constitution of Ghana

THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY UNDER THE 1960 REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION OF GHANA Introduction The 1960 republican constitution of...

Forestry

Virtual Kollage

Posted by Chester Morton / Monday, 19 September 2022 / No comments

The pre-colonial political system of the Ga-Dangbe people of Ghana

Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday, 30 August 2022 / No comments

What are the factors that hinder free and fair elections

Posted by Chester Morton / Thursday, 12 November 2020 / No comments

The benefits that member-states derive from their membership of the United Nations Organization

Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday, 14 April 2019 / No comments

The impact of mass media on Sierra Leonean politics

The impact of mass media on Nigerian politics

Posted by Chester Morton / Friday, 12 April 2019 / No comments

The disadvantages of mass media

Posted by Chester Morton / Saturday, 23 March 2019 / No comments

The definition and characteristics of mass media

Posted by Chester Morton / Sunday, 4 November 2018 / No comments

The reasons why Nigeria opted for a republican state in 1963

Posted by Chester Morton / Saturday, 3 November 2018 / No comments

The independence of the judiciary under the 1960 republican constitution of Ghana

Latest Posts

Labels

Recent Posts

Popular This Week

Contact Form