The press the public, and political pressure in every government should assume an importance of great magnitude, they become a factor to be reckoned with in processes of decision-making. The importances of the press are too obvious to require any elaboration. The importance has been appropriately assessed by classifying the press as the fourth estate of the realm and government should be made clear to prepare at all times to submit to the bar of public opinion for accountability and scrutiny.
Any administration should expect the press to play its’ role as informer, educator, leader and watch dog. And they should expect the press to provide the forum for open and public debate on the issue of the day, as between the government and the governed, the forum should provide a point of convergence. In this way the government will be in the position to convey its programmes, policies and decision to the governed and to obtain adequate and appropriate feedback from the governed.
In its role as a watch dog of the society, the government believes that the press has a duty to ensure that all arms of government –legislative, executive and judicial do not exercise their authority to the disadvantage of the weak and under-privileged. In the final analysis the press is therefore expected to act as the bulwark of the citizen against the tyranny of power. To do this, it should be the aim of the press to check the excesses, to highlight deficiencies, and to extol right where it is due. In short, the press as a watch dog should constantly be engaged on continuous constructive criticism and appraisal of the performance of the government.
The government is fully conscious of the fact that in its role as point of reference in society, the press while it mirrors the society, it should also rise above it and lead it by setting standards for higher achievements. In its leadership role the government expect the press to reflect public opinion as well as guide and lead it.
In view of this multi-dimensional role of the press there is doubt that a great deal of power and influence resides with the press in a free state. A strong and responsible press should be able in his state to exercise considerable influence on decision makers through constructive criticism and through offering of responsible alternative opinion as of any given public issue inspite of whatever may be the inadequacies of the press in the state. The press has always remained one of the last hopes of the ordinary citizens against excesses and against tyranny of power and privilege. Any good government should not entertarn any fear of the press or habours any hostility towards it.
I believe that it is the duty of the press to offer constructive criticism of government policy and action and also to go further by offering responsible alternative solutions to the problem of the day. I am hoping that the press and the government should seek the welfare of the members of the society. A good portion of the press has remained conscious of its noble role and had endeavored to keep to the ethics of the profession of journalism although my confidence in a section of Nigerian press has been misplaced and part of press failed in its sacred duty as an objective educator and critic.
I also discovered to my utter disappointment that the press should moderate themselves inorder for them to display every possible sense of justice and fair play with a satisfiable conscience and the press should not lose a minute of sleep over the antics of disgruntle elements in the government, and the government should not mount up hostility against the press because of criticism.
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