INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background
to the Study
It is commonplace
for different societies to conceive the notion of press freedom in ways that
bodes well with their socio-economic, political and cultural realities. This
diversity of perceptions has triggered a multitude of definitions of press
freedom; thereby making it difficult and impracticable for a realistic
perception of press freedom to be instituted in many countries undergoing
political transition. Even in some Western societies, there are disparities in
the conceptual approach to press freedom, most commonly on the issue of the
role of the government.
Many communication
scholars examine the concept of press freedom more on the relationship between
the government and mass media. On this basis, the definition of press freedom
often tilts towards the libertarian ideology involving the absence of
government intervention and control. This article establishes itself within the
scholarly debate of the controversies of instituting a common and practicable
approach to press freedom that meets the socioeconomic, cultural and political
realities of each society. It also argues that some forms of government
intervention are required to contain the excesses of a market-oriented liberal
press system in societies undergoing political transition. It harps on the fact
that freedom cannot be absolute in becoming an end in itself, but rather a
means in achieving other goals of a society such as economic, political and
cultural development. Consequently, government interventions depend on the
diversities and peculiarities of a society.
In many Third World
transition countries of Africa, the governments do not offer an enabling condition
to accommodate the libertarian model of a free press. This is exemplified by
the conceptualization of the Ubuntu model used alongside the development
theory to define the meaning and approach to press freedom. These models, like
the libertarian approach are not without complexities, thus this article offers
new insights on its challenges and weaknesses in allowing for press freedom. It
argues the fact that there is no befitting model of press freedom not saddled
by various conditions.
In this article, I
present the libertarian model of press freedom enshrined in the four theories
of the press by Schramm et al., (1956) and trace the collapse of the socialist
ideology and acceptance of the liberal market oriented model in many of the
former communist societies such of Central and Eastern Europe. I also discuss
the media system in Third World societies of Africa by examining the
development and Ubuntu models that impact on the levels of press
freedom. It is my purpose to highlight the impracticability of these conceptual
approaches in allowing for an independent and objective press.
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