Perception and practice of the watchdog role among journalists in Nigeria

Abstract

The watchdog role of journalists represents an oversight function that can curb corruption. Unfortunately, in many countries, the watchdog role is not accepted by some journalists. Existing literature has highlighted the role perception of the journalist and the structure of media work as determinants of the journalist’s acceptance of the watchdog role. This article investigates Nigerian journalists’ perception and performance of the watchdog functions. Based on a national survey of journalists in Nigeria, the article finds that there is a negative perception of the watchdog doctrine among Nigerian journalists, as the majority of them do not believe in the primacy of the watchdog role. The article concludes that, the extent of performing watchdog function is significantly dependent on the journalists’ perception of the watchdog role as an investigative tool in news reporting, and recommends that the journalists be trained on investigative reporting skills to play the watchdog role in Nigeria.