ABSTRACT
The core theoretical framework on which this study anchors is to assess the legal problems/dangers vis a vis others that exist with the practicing of journalism in Nigeria, under the military with particular reference to General Sani Abacha’s regime.
The study revealed that journalists were arrested and detained in their thousands thereby providing little or no room for the pursuit of the TRUTH which is the hallmark of journalism profession. Sometimes they loose their lives while doing their job.
It further went down to review the related literature so as to give essence to the work.
In order to achieve the objectives of the study, content analysis was used as a research method to show clearly the manifest content of the media. It is an information technique that focuses on historical analysis of available information obtained from, newspaper, magazines, tapes or any other material that can guarantee permanence to information. With this research method, I was able to analyze things and come up with reasonable conclusion.
It was found that there couldn’t be meaningful interaction between the government and the citizenry, if the journalists were not allowed to operate freely. When the journalists were intimidated, they will be inhibited from faithfully reflecting the society to those in government and from letting the public know what those in power think or do.
