Institutional Perspective of Political Intolerance in the Epoch of Modernism: The Causes and the Way Forward

Abstract

Political intolerance has become the order of the day in this epoch of modernism. This study is therefore embarked upon generally to find out the nature of political intolerance in the era of modernism, the causes and possible solutions in curbing these intolerances in our media fronts. This study was directed by four main specific objectives. Specifically, the study sought to find out if political intolerance can be a tool for political instability, the acts of the media which causes political intolerance, ways of achieving political tolerance and how best the National Media Commission can help in curbing or minimizing political intolerances in our media fronts. Methodologically, the study made use of questionnaires as the main data collection instrument using purposive, convenient and simple random sampling as the main data collection techniques. There was other information solicited from other sources which included the internet, literatures on the media, archival findings and other related works. The data collected was analyzed using tables and simple percentages with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. The analysis revealed that political intolerance can be a tool for instability in the country. It was also revealed that wrong reportage and the use of abusive language in our media fronts are major causes of political intolerances in our media. It was therefore recommended by the researchers based on the data collected that, consensus building and applying high journalistic standards are ways of achieving political tolerance in our media. It is also recommended that the National Media Commission (NMC) should provide public education and enforce strict rules in handling issues in the media.