ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to analyse the media’s election reportage in Africa, with a specific focus on Nigeria. It looks at media coverage of elections across the world to determine the extent of similarity with coverage in Nigeria and possible lessons that can be learned, and reviews case studies of media reportage of elections in Kenya and Nigeria. The onerous task of safeguarding and ensuring the transparency of the democratic process lies on the “shoulders” of the media. One of the media’s chief responsibilities is ensuring that it acts as a catalyst for the avoidance of acts of violation and malpractice. The watchdog role of the media means that the media has the responsibility of providing background information about political aspirants and their parties. Elections provide a people with the freedom to exercise their right to choose, either to install a candidate they deem worthy of a political position or to remove an existing office holder they reckon to be unworthy.
