Employing the Mass Media for the Promotion of Human Rights in Nigeria

Abstract

The place of the mass media in the promotion of human rights in any given society cannot be overemphasised; the mass media generally, can be used to bring about positive attitudinal change in the individuals. Thus, the paper examines the role of the media in the promotion of human rights in Nigeria; it explores the various ways through which the media can be used to promote human rights in Nigeria; some of the various ways identified in the paper are: through editorials, features, news commentaries, discussion programmes. The paper identifies the basic human rights to include: right to life, right to dignity of human beings, right to personal liberty, right to fair hearing, right to compensation from property compulsorily acquired, right to private and family life, right to freedom of thoughts, conscience and religion, right to peaceful assembly and association, right to freedom of movement, among others. The paper discovers that the Nigerian populace does not enjoy these rights, as these rights are still trampled upon in most cases. More so, the paper identifies that the mass media have not really been effective in the promotion of human rights in Nigeria. Thus, it proposes that the media, both electronic and print, should be used to promote the issue of human rights in Nigeria, so that people will know their rights.

Key Words: Human Rights, Violation, Human Rights Promotion and the Mass Media