JOURNALISTS’ PERCEPTION OF NIGERIA’S MEDIA IN ENTRENCHING GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

ABSTRACT This study surveyed 243 journalists in Kwara State, Nigerian to explore their perceptionsof the media’s role in promoting good governance and accountability, problematizinghow structural barriers like limited access to information and governmentinterference undermine the media’s democratic functions.The main objectivewastoassess journalists’ views on the media’s effectiveness in fostering transparency, holding officials accountable, impacting governance, and identifying challenges. Anchored on Social Responsibility Theory, which emphasizes the media’sdutytoprovide truthful reporting, and Watchdog Theory, highlighting the media’sroleinscrutinizing power, the study adopted survey method design, targeting 265 journalists(91.7%responserate).Findings revealed strong agreement on the media’sroleinpromoting transparency (mean=3.58)and accountability (mean=3.68), withhighinfluence on public perception (mean=3.69),supporting Agenda-Setting Theory .2, lowerscores for coverage adequacy (mean=3.30)and policy influence (mean=3.46) indicatelimitations ,with challenges like lack of access to information (mean=4.03) andgovernment interference (mean=4.00) hindering effectiveness, consistent withAbubakre (2022 )and Freedom House (2020).The study concludes that whileKwarajournalists recognize the media’s vital role in fostering transparency and accountability, structural and political barriers limit comprehensive coverage, weakening its watchdogfunction. The study recommended that implementing policies to enhance accesstoinformation and open data, enabling effective reporting, and fostering media freedomtostrengthen democratic governance.