Mass Media Consolidation: Implications for Public Opinion Formation in Nigeria.

Abstract

The paper examines media consolidation in terms of its effects and implications on media policy and operations across the globe with focus on Nigeria. It was observed that there is growing concern over the socio-cultural implications of media consolidation which in consequence has opened up another chapter of the cultural imperialism and domination debate; that media consolidation is turning media industries into oligopolies. Consolidation has also been observed to enable ultra-powerful mass market media to be primarily loyal to its sponsors rather than public interest; and that since the bottom line for,today's corporate media is profit, those who cannot afford to contribute to the profits, are likely to be factored out. The paper posits that media consolidation is a dangerous trend, facilitating an increase in concentration of media ownership in the hands of few powerful elites and organisations, and that the trend is not flexible enough to serve the interest of local communities even in cases of emergency. Laws limiting the extent of media consolidation in Nigeria, review of airwaves regulatory laws, preservation of indigenous cultures through establishment of community media structures to support indigenous content, and decommercialisation of public media amongst others are recommended.