Social Responsibility Theory of the Press: A Critique of Its Application and Constraints

Abstract

Social Responsibility theory, an offshoot of Libertarian philosophy evolved following wide spread virulent criticisms that trailed the Libertarian Theory. Central to the evolution of social responsibility theory was the need for the press to reconcile freedom with obligations to the society in which it operates.  Implied in this notion is for media practitioners to report truthful, comprehensive and accurate accounts and representative picture of events and occurrences to keep the people fully informed, untrammeled by other forces outside the ethical prescriptions. However, owing to self-serving interests arising from political and economic considerations in Nigeria as well as in most developing nations, the social responsibility theory has been advertently stripped of its core requirements for its emergence by governments and private media owners through subjective interpretation, leaving its twisted version to guide the press. Against this background, the paper presented a critical evaluation of the application and constraints of the theory in Nigeria. The paper found that the application of social responsibility of the media in Nigeria is defined by subjective political and economic interests with the later coming from private media owners. Public interest which is the primary consideration behind the theory is relegated into near annihilation. Arising from this standpoint, the paper concluded that the media has been too hamstrung to fully equip the people with the right information to assess the performances of the leaders, and to make informed decisions in the participatory quest for nation-building. The paper recommended that social responsibility should be seen by governments and other stakeholders as a duty to a journalist's conscience and a primary basis for the right of free expression without coercion or subterfuge to cow the media.