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ISSN: 2789-8903 (P in ) | 2790-1106 (Online) | Vol. 5, No. 3, 2025
Websi e: h p://jou nals.jozacpublishe s.com/jahca
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17692961
Type o he Pape : (A icle Pape )
Using media o communi y empowe men : A poli ical economy pe spec i e on
collabo a i e media p ac ices in Owe i, Imo S a e, Nige ia
Joyce Aus en Onyeku u
1*Depa men o Thea e and Film S udies, Facul y o Humani ies, Fede al Uni e si y O uoke, Bayelsa S a e, Nige ia.
[email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Recei ed: 30 July, 2025 | Accep ed: 27 Oc obe , 2025 | Published: 24 No embe , 2025
Abs ac : The pape explo ed he dynamics o using media o communi y empowe men om a poli ical
economy pe spec i e while ocusing on collabo a i e media p ac ices in he con empo a y digi al wo ld. The
media is no only a pla o m o communica ion bu se es as a iable ool o communi y empowe men and
socio-poli ical ans o ma ion hence he need o examine he in e play be ween media s uc u es, owne ship,
and access, alongside he pa icipa o y p ocess ha enabled Owe i communi y o ha ness media o
empowe men . The poli ical economy and media s udies amewo ks o eg ounded he s udy o inqui e in o
media owne ship, con ol, and egula o y en i onmen s as ob ainable in Owe i municipali y in engaging in
sel - ep esen a ion and ad ocacy. The s udy depended on in-dep h in e iews and a su ey wi h communi y
media p ac i ione s, pa icipan s and s akeholde s o un u l he ways in which collabo a i e media p ac ices can
enginee communi y empowe men , p omo e social jus ice, and con ibu e o democ a ic go e nance. Owe i
communi y which se es as a case s udy, p o es as a success ul model collabo a ing wi h esiden s, local adio
s a ions, and social media pla o ms o na iga e he cons ain s o media sys ems, oicing hei conce ns,
mobilize o social change, and in luencing policy-making p ocesses. The indings e ealed how collabo a i e
media p ac ices can c ea e al e na i e spaces o ci ic engagemen , ampli y ma ginalized oices, and challenge
dominan ideologies, he eby suppo ing he po en ial o media as a ans o ma i e ool o communi y
empowe men and social change.
Keywo ds: Collabo a i e media, Communi y empowe men , Media, Owe i, Poli ical economy
1. In oduc ion
The media and socie y a e somehow in e wo en in a ascina ing manne . This is because he media help o shape
socie y by in luencing opinions, spa king mo emen s, and e en se ing no ms. This complex ela ionship has
bo h posi i e and nega i e consequences, and unde s anding i is c ucial in oday's digi al age. Acco ding o
Thompson (2013), media can be de ined as a ious o ms o communica ion channels o pla o ms used o
con ey in o ma ion o a la ge audience, including p in media, b oadcas media, digi al media, and social media.
P in media co e s he newspape s and magazines, b oadcas media akes ca e o adio and ele ision, while he
In e ne , Blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Ins ag am, Twi e , now X, LinkedIn, Wha sApp and many mo e a e he
p oduc s o digi al and social media. Cla i ying u he , Wang e al. (2021), ci ed in Bassey (2024) admi he
exis ence o mul iple ypes o social media pla o ms, wi h each se ing dis inc pu poses such as Facebook and
LinkedIn se ing as social ne wo king si es, mic oblogging pla o ms se e Twi e , ideo-sha ing pla o ms
se e YouTube, pho o-sha ing pla o ms se e Ins ag am and Snapcha , while online o um se es Reddi (p.45).
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These new media ha e changed he ace o communica ion in he 21s cen u y. The ole o media in socie y has
e ol ed signi ican ly, ansi ioning om adi ional pla o ms such as Newspape s, Tele ision, Radio,
Magazines and, many mo e o mo e dynamic and pa icipa o y o ms o digi al and social media. Jones (2018)
obse es ha media pla o ms such as he in e ne , ele ision, adio, and social media ha e g ea ly inc eased he
accessibili y o in o ma ion o a wide audience, allowing o b oade dissemina ion o news and knowledge.
Meanwhile, Okochi and Dapoe (2022: 5) w i e ha :
O e he yea s, social media has p o en o be a ele an ins umen o di e en o ms o
mobiliza ion in Nige ia by indi iduals, o ganiza ions, ac i is s and he go e nmen . While on
he o he hand, esea che s in di e se disciplines, especially in he media and cul u al s udies,
a e beginning o s udy he new end, social media has become an i eplaceable aspec o he
media ha almos e e ybody in socie y is engaged in one way o he o he .
Technology has simpli ied and modi ied he means o communica ion in he 21s cen u y. The possession o an
And oid phone has made i easy o in o ma ion o be sha ed quickly and mo e easily, especially among he
you hs whose daily ac i i ies depend la gely on social media. Bassey (2024: 46) admi s ha :
Social media, in pa icula , has eme ged as a po en ool o aising awa eness and os e ing
in e ac ion among you hs, se ing as hei p ima y pla o m o discussing and deba ing
social issues wi hou he need o physical ga he ings. The ole o social media in building
consensus and consen in go e nance is undeniable, as i acili a es widesp ead in e ac ion,
especially among he you h ul popula ion o any na ion.
Smi h (2019) obse es ha in he digi al age, media ou le s can quickly sha e b eaking news and upda es,
enabling he apid dissemina ion o impo an in o ma ion o he public in eal- ime. This shi has opened new
a enues o communi y empowe men , which is all abou inc easing a communi y's con ol o e i s own des iny.
I is a p ocess ha helps people in a communi y gain he knowledge, skills, and esou ces hey need o make
decisions and ake ac ion on hings ha a ec hei li es. Communi y empowe men enables indi iduals and
g oups o oice hei conce ns, mobilize o social change, and pa icipa e mo e ac i ely in he democ a ic
p ocess (Cas ells, 2015). Wi h he ad en o social media pla o ms such as Facebook, TikTok, Ins ag am, X,
Wha sApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, and o he s, indi iduals, communi ies, na ions, and he wo ld a la ge can
ansmi in o ma ion in bo h audio and isuals much as e and also elici quick esponses o ac ions. Okochi
and Dapoe (2022) add ha i enables sha ing and connec ion wi h like minds owa ds collec i e change in
socie y, while B own and Lee (2020), in hei own iew, posi ha mode n media can anscend geog aphical
bounda ies, eaching audiences wo ldwide and acili a ing he exchange o in o ma ion on a global scale. Social
media p o ides in e ac i e ea u es such as eeds and p o iles o access and p omo e isibili y o widen he
ne wo k o common in e es s (Cus ódio, 2009). In o he wo ds, social media has simpli ied he mode o
in o ma ion dissemina ion, acili a ed by he use o echnology, which encou ages wide isibili y, unlike he
elec onic and p in media.
The media no doub play e y c ucial oles in communi y empowe men . Jones (2016) iden i ies some majo
oles o he media o include p o iding in o ma ion, aising awa eness, and acili a ing dialogue. Th ough
a ious pla o ms such as ele ision, adio, newspape s, and social media, he media can ampli y he oices o
ma ginalized communi ies and ad oca e o social change (Smi h & Johnson, 2018). Expanding on he ole o
media in communi y empowe men , B own (2020) a gues ha by highligh ing social issues and p omo ing ci ic
engagemen , he media can empowe communi ies o add ess challenges and d i e posi i e ans o ma ions. In
addi ion, media li e acy p og ammes can empowe indi iduals wi h he skills o c i ically analyse and c ea e
media con en , enabling hem o ac i ely pa icipa e in shaping he na a i es ha a ec hei li es. To a la ge
ex en , he media's ole in communi y empowe men ex ends beyond in o ma ion dissemina ion o os e ing a
sense o agency, pa icipa ion, and solida i y among communi y membe s (Lee, 2017).
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In he case o Owe i Municipal in Imo S a e, Nige ia which in his s udy is clea ly ma ked ou as a communi y,
he media ha e aken on a unique ole, in luenced by he local socio-poli ical, economic, and cul u al landscape
o he a ea. The socio-poli ical ac o s include go e nmen egula ions, poli ical p essu e, and media owne ship,
while he economic and cul u al ac o s hinge on ma ke o ces, ad e ising e enue, digi al dis up ion and
audience p e e ence, echnological ad ancemen and social media, espec i ely. These ac o s in e ac in a ious
ways o shape he media space in Owe i, in luencing he ypes o in o ma ion ha a e dissemina ed, he
pe spec i es ha a e ep esen ed, and he o e all media en i onmen people engage wi h.
The poli ical economy o media, he e o e, p o ides he basis o unde s anding how media sys ems a e
in luenced by he in e play o poli ical and economic o ces and how hese, in u n, shape he media's ole in
communi y empowe men (Mosco, 2009). While examining he collabo a i e media p ac ices wi hin his
amewo k, i becomes pe inen o unco e he powe dynamics a play and explo e how media can se e as a
ool o communi y engagemen and empowe men . Fo ins ance, he p oli e a ion o local/communi y adio
s a ions and o he digi al pla o ms in Owe i communi y highligh s he po en ial o media o os e communi y
iden i y, p omo e cul u al p ese a ion, and s imula e local economies (Okigbo & Ezebuenyi, 2012). Howe e ,
he engagemen o communi y membe s in media p oduc ion p ocesses, as seen in a ious pa icipa o y media
p ojec s, e lec s a shi owa ds mo e inclusi e and democ a ic media p ac ices. This shi no only democ a izes
media p oduc ion bu also ensu es ha he media con en is e lec i e o he communi y's needs, aspi a ions,
and challenges (Jenkins, 2006). In Owe i, such collabo a i e e o s ha e been ins umen al in add essing issues
o social injus ice, en i onmen al conce ns, and go e nance, showcasing he powe o media as a ca alys o
communi y empowe men and social change (Akin eleye & Oso, 2014).
In explo ing he ole o media in communi y empowe men in Owe i, Imo S a e, Nige ia, om a poli ical
economy pe spec i e, his pape aims o iden i y exis ing collabo a i e media p ac ices in Owe i and how hey
acili a e communi y empowe men using in e iew and su ey me hods o da a collec ion. I would also
in es iga e how accessible he media a e o he esiden s o Owe i, analysing he ole o media in shaping
opinions, communi y engagemen s, and social change, as well as explo ing he poli ical and economic s uc u es
ha in luence media ope a ions and hei impac on media con en . All o hese a e gea ed owa ds
unde s anding how media p ac ices, shaped by socio-economic and poli ical con ex s, can enhance communi y
empowe men .
2. Li e a u e e iew
Schola s o poli ical economy obse e ha powe dynamics, media owne ship, unding, and egula o y policies
a ec media access, shape con en and p omo e democ a ic engagemen (Mosco, 2009; Cu an & Pa k, 2000).
Also, he applica ion o poli ical-economy s udies o he Nige ian con ex demons a es ha media pa onage,
go e nmen al in e e ence, and comme cial concen a ion can in luence edi o ial choices and esou ce
alloca ion, he eby limi ing he ex en o media emancipa o y po en ial unless s uc u al condi ions a e changed
(Ishaku, 2022; Adeyemo, 2024). In iew o his asse ion, media empowe men o communi ies no only
encou ages mo e han jus echnical o pa icipa o y in e en ions bu also calls o a e iew o media owne ship,
esou ce alloca ion, and he ways in which egula o y policies ei he p omo e o impede communi y
empowe men and pa icipa ion (Adeyemo, 2024).
S udies ha e equally shown ha ‘collabo a i e media’ o collabo a i e jou nalism /pa icipa o y media can
encou age communi y empowe men h ough se e al mechanisms, such as in o ma ion and awa eness (G a es
& Konieczna, 2015). Acco ding o G a es and Konieczna (2015), collabo a i e media e e s o p ac ices whe e
p o essional jou nalis s, ci izens, NGOs, and some imes go e nmen al ac o s co-p oduce, sha e, o o he wise
join ly manage con en and in o ma ion wo k lows. I is o en said ha in o ma ion is powe . In o he wo ds,
collabo a i e media encou ages in o ma ion dissemina ion a he g ass oo s using communi y adio and
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localized epo ing o help inc ease ci izens’ knowledge o igh s, se ices, and haza ds. Secondly, i p o ides a
pla o m o he peoples’ oices o be hea d and o e accoun abili y. Collabo a i e media enable g ie ance ai ing
and moni o ing o local o icials, as well as encou age capaci y building: aining and ci ic- ech pa ne ships. I
also p o ides skills o da a-d i en ad ocacy and moni o ing as well as cul u al a i ma ion. In e es ingly,
Se aes (1999) and Nnah (2024) obse e ha local media ha use indigenous languages and na a i es
s eng hen social capi al and collec i e agency. Howe e , ins ances om Nige ian si ua ions e eal ha hese
mechanisms wo k unde enabling condi ions bu p oduce une en ou comes when s uc u al cons ain s pe sis
(openda aday.o g).
Communi ies ha e come o he ealiza ion ha hei abili y o ad oca e and sel - ep esen is dependen on
who owns he media, who con ols he media and egula o y amewo ks. In o he wo ds, when media
owne ship is es ed in he hands o a ew la ge co po a ions o indi iduals, i can limi he di e si y o oices
and pe spec i es ep esen ed in he media landscape (McChesney, 2008). When media ou le s a e con olled by
en i ies wi h speci ic poli ical o economic in e es s, hey may p io i ize ce ain na a i es o pe spec i es o e
o he s, supp essing dissen ing oices and limi ing oppo uni ies o communi y membe s o exp ess hei iews
(Bane jee, 2016). This con ol can es ic he abili y o communi ies o ad oca e o hei in e es s and add ess
social jus ice issues.
In e ms o egula o y en i onmen s, go e nmen policies and media egula ions can ei he p omo e o
hinde communi y engagemen in sel - ep esen a ion and ad ocacy. Regula o y amewo ks ha suppo media
plu alism, di e si y o owne ship, and anspa ency can empowe communi ies o access and con ibu e o
media pla o ms (Tambini, 2010). Con e sely, egula o y en i onmen s ha lack sa egua ds agains media
concen a ion, censo ship, o poli ical in e e ence can s i le communi y pa icipa ion and limi he abili y o
ma ginalized g oups o ad oca e o change. I he e o e means ha , media owne ship, con ol, and egula o y
en i onmen s signi ican ly in luence he capaci y o communi ies o engage in sel - ep esen a ion and ad ocacy
whe ein communi ies can ha e a mo e meaning ul ole in shaping public discou se, ep esen ing hei in e es s,
and ad oca ing o social change by p omo ing media di e si y, anspa ency, and egula o y measu es ha
p o ec media independence.
By and la ge, media in Owe i, like hose in Nige ia, ace challenges including egula o y p essu es, he need
o echnological upg ades, and issues o jou nalis ic e hics and aining (Oso & Pa e, 2016). Howe e ,
oppo uni ies abound, especially wi h he inc easing mo e owa ds digi al media, which allows o g ea e each
and in e ac ion wi h he audience. The digi al media include, TikTok, Facebook, Ins ag am, X, YouTube,
Wha sApp, and many mo e. The digi al media has changed he adi ional mode o in o ma ion dissemina ion
o a much mo e as and digi ized means o communica ion.
2.1. Theo e ical amewo k
This s udy is ancho ed on he heo y o poli ical economy and media s udies which p o ides a amewo k o
unde s anding how poli ics, powe and economic o ces in e sec wi h media s uc u es, p ac ices, and con en
in in luencing he p oduc ion, dis ibu ion, and ecep ion o media in socie y. The poli ical economy heo y,
he e o e, a gues ha wi hin he media con ex , he economic o ces and go e nmen egula ion policies o
media owne s in a coun y in luence media con en , dis ibu ion, and audience engagemen , including he
impac o ad e ising and comme cial impe a i es. In o he wo ds, he poli ical economy o media s udies
p o ides a pla o m o look a he in e sec ion o poli ics, powe play, economic s uc u es, and how media
ope a es wi hin a complex space. In applying he heo y o his s udy, i can be a gued ha as media owne ship
and con ol es in he hands o ew indi iduals, Co po a e o ganiza ions and Go e nmen s, he economic li es
o he people and communi y empowe men is de e mined by he egula ion policies made by he owne s and
con olle s o he media. The con en hey dish ou in e ms o p oduc ion and dis ibu ion a e wha he people
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consume. The people and hei communi ies a e no p o ided wi h he pla o m o ell hei s o ies and by so
doing, hei oices a e no hea d.
In his case, Owe i municipal in Imo S a e, Sou h Eas e n pa o Nige ia ep esen s a mic ocosm om whe e
he s udy would look a he p oduc ion, dis ibu ion and consump ion o media con en s and how he powe
s uc u es ha e in luenced communi ies. Talking abou media owne ship and con ol, Owe i municipal has
wi nessed in ecen imes, he p oli e a ion o media houses mos ly adio s a ions and Newspape s owned and
con olled by he go e nmen , indi iduals and o ganiza ions. This kind o owne ship o he media has led o a
homogeniza ion o iewpoin s and a educ ion in he di e si y o media con en s. This concen a ion o media
powe in luences public opinion and poli ical ou comes by con olling wha in o ma ion is dissemina ed and
how i is amed. Uzuegbulam (2020) posi s ha :
As media a e concen a ed unde ewe owne s, he implica ion is ha he e a e ewe oices
and less di e si y o exp ession. When he e is no di e si y o opinion and mul iplici y o
exp ession, public opinion and democ acy can be unde mined, and cul u al alues become
shaped by hese powe ul media owne s o capi alis gains (abs ac , n.p).
I he e o e becomes necessa y o he ins i u ionalisa ion o mo e media s uc u es in o de o inc ease and
accommoda e mo e oices and di e se opinions, which enhances he beau y o democ a ic go e nance as
acco ding o Nieman (2023), mul ila e al ac -checking coali ions and mul i-ou le in es iga i e collabo a ions
in Nige ia ha e shown ha pooling expe ise and esou ces can p oduce high-impac epo ing.
2.2. The concep o communi y empowe men
The Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion (2025) de ines ‘communi ies’ as “g oups o people ha may o may no be
spa ially connec ed, bu who sha e common in e es s, conce ns o iden i ies while 'empowe men ' e e s o he
p ocess by which people gain con ol o e he ac o s and decisions ha shape hei li es. I is he p ocess by
which hey inc ease hei asse s and a ibu es and build capaci ies o gain access, pa ne s, ne wo ks, and/o a
oice, in o de o gain con ol. Communi y empowe men , he e o e, e e s o he “p ocess o enabling
communi ies o inc ease con ol o e hei li es”. This ini ia i e enables people in a communi y o gain he
knowledge, skills, and esou ces hey need o make decisions and ake ac ion on hings ha a ec hei li es
passi ely. In hei iews, F ei e (1970) and Pu nam (2000) opine ha communi y empowe men is seen as a
p ocess whe eby indi iduals and communi ies gain he skills, knowledge, and access necessa y o e ec change
in hei own communi ies. WHO belie es ha people a e hei own asse s, and he ole o he ex e nal agen is
o ca alyse, acili a e, o "accompany" he communi y in acqui ing powe . WHO (2025) u he s a es ha hese
communi ies could be local, na ional, o in e na ional, wi h speci ic o b oad in e es s.
Communi ies ha e di e en needs and challenges con on ing hem, and hei abili y o iden i y hese
p oblems and ake posi i e s eps o change hei des iny is he genesis o hei socio-poli ical and economic
libe a ion. This explains why Obong and Ta gema (2023) place he audience membe s a he hea o he media
e ec p ocess by p esupposing ha hey, o en hough o be a he ecei ing end, a e sel -willed and socially
de e minis ic indi iduals who decide hei pa e n o usage o media con en . This encompasses hei in luence
o e policies and decisions ha a ec hei li es, imp o ing hei access o esou ces, and enhancing hei
capaci ies o imp o e hei own socio-economic condi ions. Also, communi y empowe men challenges he
s uc u es and ins i u ions ha pe pe ua e inequali y and hinde communi y de elopmen . This includes
ad oca ing o policy changes, p omo ing economic inclusi i y, and os e ing communi y-based app oaches o
de elopmen ha p io i ize local knowledge and needs (S igli z, 2002). Communi y empowe men ans o ms
he s uc u es and ins i u ions ha uphold inequali y by gi ing he communi y a s onge oice and agency in
decision-making p ocesses. As communi ies become mo e empowe ed, hey can ad oca e o changes in
policies, laws, and p ac ices ha pe pe ua e disc imina ion and hinde hei de elopmen . Unde he
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ci cums ances, communi ies can ac i ely pa icipa e in shaping hei own u u e, push o sys emic changes ha
p io i ize equi y, social jus ice, and communi y well-being. This can also lead o a mo e inclusi e and ai socie y
ha bene i s he people.
The concep o communi y empowe men , acco ding o Zimme man (2000), cen es on he ways economic
and poli ical s uc u es can be ans o med o enable communi ies o gain con ol o e hei own ci cums ances.
This in ol es analysing he dis ibu ion o powe and esou ces, bo h ma e ial and imma e ial, o unde s and
how communi ies can be enabled o achie e sel -de e mina ion, sus ainabili y, and social jus ice. I sugges s ha
o communi ies o be empowe ed, he e mus be an equi able edis ibu ion o esou ces and oppo uni ies,
which o en equi e sys emic changes o add ess imbalances o powe (Sen, 1999). In such ci cums ances,
communi ies can become s onge and mo e empowe ed when esou ces and oppo uni ies a e dis ibu ed ai ly
among all membe s. This means ha e e yone has access o hings like educa ion, heal hca e, and job
oppo uni ies. Howe e , achie ing his o en equi es making signi ican changes o how hings a e un, such as
laws and policies o ensu e ha powe is balanced and e e yone has a ai chance o succeed. Implemen ing his
empowe s communi ies o become mo e inclusi e, suppo i e, and success ul o all hei membe s.
Poli ical empowe men , on he o he hand, in ol es ensu ing ha communi ies ha e a oice in go e nance
and decision-making p ocesses, ein o cing he democ a ic p inciples o pa icipa ion and ep esen a ion
(Pa eman,1970). This can be achie ed by p o iding oppo uni ies o ac i e pa icipa ion in poli ical p ocesses.
When communi ies a e poli ically empowe ed, hey can elec ep esen a i es who uly ep esen hei in e es s
and conce ns. These ep esen a i es can hen ad oca e o policies and ini ia i es ha add ess he needs o he
communi y, he eby ein o cing he democ a ic p inciples o pa icipa ion and ep esen a ion. When
communi ies ha e a say in how decisions a e made and esou ces a e alloca ed, such communi ies become
s akeholde s whose opinions a e espec ed and whose p io i ies a e aken in o accoun , con ibu ing o a mo e
inclusi e and esponsi e go e nance sys em.
Communi y empowe men wi hin he poli ical economy con ex is abou edis ibu ing powe and esou ces
in a way ha enables communi ies o ake cha ge o hei de elopmen . I challenges exis ing economic and
poli ical s uc u es, ad oca ing o sys emic changes ha p omo e equi y, inclusi i y, and sus ainable
de elopmen (Sen, 1999; Zimme man, 2000). These sys emic changes equi e add essing bo h economic and
poli ical s uc u es. Economic policies, acco ding o Blancha dl (2019: 3), should no only aim o p omo e g ow h,
s abili y, and de elopmen bu also o ensu e he equi able dis ibu ion o he bene i s o ha g ow h, ensu ing
ha all membe s o a communi y, especially he mos ma ginalized, ha e access o he means o imp o ing hei
li elihoods. Employing basic s a egies and wo king collabo a i ely wi h a ious s akeholde s, communi ies
can ad oca e o sys emic changes ha p omo e equi y, inclusi i y, and sus ainable de elopmen . This holis ic
app oach helps o add ess he oo causes o social and economic injus ices and build a mo e jus and p ospe ous
socie y o all.
2.3. Poli ical economy pe spec i es on collabo a i e media p ac ices
This aspec ocuses on he in e play be ween he economic and poli ical o ces ha shape and in luence media
p oduc ion, dis ibu ion, and consump ion wi hin a communi y (McChesney, 2008). This app oach emphasizes
how powe dynamics, owne ship s uc u es, egula o y amewo ks, and economic incen i es impac he ways
in which media is used o empowe communi ies (Ga nham, 2000). I is a known ac ha poli ical p essu e can
shape media na a i es, supp ess c i ical epo ing, and ewa d a ou able co e age. The e o e, he poli ical and
economic con ex in which collabo a i e media ini ia i es ope a e calls o a comp ehensi e assimila ion o he
s uc u al cons ain s and oppo uni ies ha , acco ding o Bake and Blaagaa d (2016), shape he e ec i eness
o such p ac ices in p omo ing communi y empowe men based on he ollowing:
Jou nal o A ican His o y, Cul u e and A s (JAHCA)
147
Media Owne ship and Economic S uc u es
One o he ocal poin s om he poli ical economy pe spec i e is he c i ique o media owne ship concen a ion.
Jenkins, Fo d and G een (2013) discuss how he cen aliza ion o media owne ship impac s collabo a i e
p ac ices, po en ially s i ling di e si y and inno a ion by p io i izing comme cial in e es s o e communal o
democ a ic alues. This pe spec i e a gues ha he concen a ion o media powe in he hands o a ew limi s
he scope o collabo a i e p ac ices o hose ha align wi h he economic in e es s o he owne s. A ew
indi iduals and Co po a ions, including he go e nmen 's own mul iple media ou le s, he eby in luence
con en and limi di e si y.
Comme cializa ion and i s impac s
The comme cial impe a i es d i ing media en i ies a e c i ically examined wi hin he poli ical economy
amewo k. Mosco (2009) a gues ha he comme cial na u e o mos media en e p ises can unde mine he e hos
o collabo a ion by imposing ma ke logic on media p oduc ion, which may lead o he commodi ica ion o use -
gene a ed con en . This comme cial p essu e can shape he con en being p oduced, o en ma ginalizing less
p o i able oices and na a i es. O en imes, communi y ini ia i es gea ed owa ds empowe ing he people
su e se backs due o hei comme cial implica ions. Hence, he e is a need o media ou le s o p o ide non-
comme cial pla o ms whe e communi y oices can be hea d o empowe men pu poses.
Regula o y en i onmen
Poli ical economy pe spec i es also conside he impac o egula o y en i onmen s on collabo a i e media
p ac ices. F eedman (2019) no es ha he egula o y amewo k wi hin which media ope a e can ei he acili a e
o hinde collabo a i e e o s, depending on how such egula ions a e s uc u ed and implemen ed. Fo
example, policies ha suppo ne neu ali y and p o ec he open in e ne a e c ucial o he lou ishing o
collabo a i e media p ac ices.
The ole o echnology and globaliza ion
F om a poli ical economy s andpoin , echnology is no seen as a neu al ool bu as a p oduc o social, economic,
and poli ical o ces. Fuchs (2014) explo es how echnological ad ancemen s ha e acili a ed new o ms o
collabo a i e media p ac ices ye wa ns o he digi al di ide and he concen a ion o echnological con ol.
Globaliza ion, in e wined wi h echnology, has expanded he each and impac o collabo a i e media, bu also
p esen s challenges ela ed o cul u al impe ialism and he homogeniza ion o con en . Ne e heless, he ise o
collabo a i e media p ac ices no doub spa ked a enewed in e es in hei po en ial o empowe communi ies.
This s udy looked a his phenomenon h ough a poli ical economy iewpoin , ocusing on Owe i, Imo S a e,
Nige ia. Owe i, like many o he Nige ian communi ies, aces challenges ela ed o social and economic
inequali ies. T adi ional media ou le s may no adequa ely add ess hese issues due o ac o s like owne ship
s uc u es and p o i mo i es. Using media o communi y empowe men , he e o e, becomes a signi ican
s a egy o p omo e social change and add ess local issues in communi ies (Olo unnisola & Ade ona, 2019). On
he o he hand, Oko o and Nwankwe e (2017) posi ha collabo a i e media p ac ices ha e eme ged as a key
ool o p omo ing communi y engagemen and empowe men . A poli ical economy pe spec i e in his con ex
o e s a aluable amewo k o examine how media s uc u es and owne ship in luence he implemen a ion and
impac o collabo a i e media ini ia i es in Owe i (Owo , 2018). In an e o o highligh he in ica e in e play
be ween poli ics, economics, and media p ac ices, his pape made an in oad in o he po en ial o media o
empowe communi ies and ad oca e o social jus ice (F eedman, 2019). This, howe e , p o ides a ounda ional
o e iew o he signi icance o collabo a i e media p ac ices om a poli ical economy pe spec i e in Owe i,
Imo S a e, Nige ia, se ing he s age o a mo e in-dep h explo a ion o hei ole in communi y empowe men .
Jou nal o A ican His o y, Cul u e and A s (JAHCA)
148
Empowe men and hegemony
These pe spec i es shed ligh on he po en ial o collabo a i e media p ac ices o empowe communi ies by
p o iding pla o ms o di e se oices and acili a ing pa icipa o y communica ion. Howe e , as Could y and
Cu an (2017) obse e, hese p ac ices a e also subjec o hegemonic p ocesses, whe e dominan ideologies can
pe ade e en seemingly democ a ic media spaces, ein o cing exis ing powe ela ions a he han challenging
hem. The poli ical economy pe spec i e on collabo a i e media p ac ices o e s a c i ical app oach o examine
he complex dynamics o powe , economy, and echnology. I unde sco es he po en ial o collabo a i e media
o democ a ize communica ion and also highligh s he challenges posed by economic and poli ical s uc u es
ha may inhibi uly inclusi e and di e se media landscapes.
2.4. B ie his o ical media con ex in Owe i
The media landscape in Owe i, Imo S a e, Nige ia, has e ol ed signi ican ly o e he yea s. T adi ionally,
in o ma ion dissemina ion in Owe i elied on own c ie s, olk ales, and ga he ings whe e s o ies and news
we e sha ed. The a i al o p in media in Nige ia aligns wi h he in oduc ion o colonial ule. The i s na ional
newspape , he Lagos Weekly Reco d, was es ablished in 1891 (Momoh, 2008). I 's likely ha copies ci cula ed
in Owe i, albei wi h limi ed accessibili y, e lec ing b oade na ional ends in Nige ian media as well as local
de elopmen s. The Nige ian B oadcas ing Co po a ion (NBC), es ablished in 1957 h ough an Ac o Pa liamen
No. 39 o 1956, had p og ammes eaching he Enugu zone and, by ex ension, Owe i esiden s. Following he
na ional end, adio became a signi ican o ce in Owe i media (Wikipedia). Howe e , a dedica ed na ional
adio s a ion o Imo S a e, he Hea land FM, wasn' inaugu a ed un il 2003 ([FRCN, 2003). The his o ical con ex
o media in Owe i can be aced back o he pos -independence e a, wi h signi ican g ow h seen in ecen
decades, especially wi h he ad en o digi al echnology.
Pos -independence e a o la e 20 h cen u y
Following Nige ia's independence in 1960, he media landscape began o ans o m, wi h an inc ease in bo h
p in and b oadcas media. In Owe i, he S a e capi al, ea ly media e o s we e la gely s a e- un en e p ises.
The Nige ian Tele ision Au ho i y (NTA), es ablished in he 1970s, played a signi ican ole in he b oadcas
media landscape and es ablished a p esence in Imo S a e (Akin eleye, 2004). The Fede al Radio Co po a ion o
Nige ia (FRCN), also es ablished by Dec ee No. 8 o 1978, has co esponden s ac oss he six zonal s a ions
(www.loc.go ). Se e al yea s down he line, p ecisely in 2003, Hea land adio s a ion was es ablished in Owe i,
con ibu ing o he local media space and ocusing on communi y se ice b oadcas ing. Du ing he 1980s and
1990s, Owe i wi nessed a di e si ica ion o i s media pla o ms. The de egula ion o he b oadcas media unde
he Babangida adminis a ion in 1992 allowed o he eme gence o p i a e adio and ele ision s a ions
(Idachaba, 2005). This pe iod saw he beginnings o p i a e media en e p ises ha would play c ucial oles in
democ a izing he media space in Owe i and p o iding al e na i es o go e nmen -con olled media.
The digi al e olu ion b ough signi ican changes o he media landscape in Owe i. The ad en o he
in e ne and mobile echnology in he la e 1990s and ea ly 2000s opened up new pla o ms o media
dissemina ion. Online news pla o ms and social media became inc easingly impo an , enabling as e and
mo e decen alized in o ma ion dissemina ion (Olu okun & Ba au, 2017). This e a also saw he ise o local
con en c ea o s who u ilized pla o ms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Ins ag am, X, Wha sApp, and many
mo e o each audiences bo h wi hin and ou side Owe i, Imo S a e.
2.5. Local media de elopmen
The g ow h o local media in Owe i has been in luenced signi ican ly by cul u e and poli ical ac o s. Owe i is
an Igbo-speaking communi y loca ed in he Sou h-Eas e n pa o Nige ia. Media ou le s ha e played
Jou nal o A ican His o y, Cul u e and A s (JAHCA)
149
ins umen al oles in p omo ing he Igbo language and cul u e, and in p o iding a pla o m o local poli ical
discou se con a y o he ea lie p ac ice by go e nmen -owned media ha s i les communi ies’ oices.
Communi y adio s a ions, in pa icula , ha e been pi o al in os e ing communi y de elopmen and
engagemen (Nwabueze, 2013). These s a ions p o ide locally ele an con en ha add esses communi y-
speci ic issues anging om amily issues, empowe men , poli ics o heal h and educa ion. O he s include
ag icul u e, spo s and en e ainmen . Some o he local adio s a ions in Owe i, hough owned by ew
indi iduals and o ganiza ions like he Ca holic Chu ch, we e loa ed a a ime go e nmen -owned adio s a ions,
he Imo B oadcas ing Co po a ion (IBC O ien FM 94.5 and he Fede al Radio Co po a ion o Nige ia (FRCN
Hea land FM 100.5) we e enjoying a lo o monopoly.
These local adio s a ions we e loa ed ou o he need o gi e oice o he oiceless and hey include: Ho
FM 99.5 owned by Chi s Anyanwu, a o me Sena o in he Nige ian Na ional Assembly. Da ling FM 107.3 is
owned by Da ling on Eze Ajoku, a o me Sena o in he Nige ian Na ional Assembly. My Radio FM 101.1
owned by Uche Ogbuagu, a o me membe o he Imo S a e House o Assembly. Gold FM 89.3 owned by Emeka
Ihedioha, a o me Go e no o Imo S a e and Reach FM 104.9, owned by Rochas Oko ocha, ano he o me
Go e no o Imo S a e. O he s include Boss FM 98.9 and Bizzy Body FM, owned by Mike Ikoku, a poli ician.
O he s a e Zande s FM 105.7 owned by Kennedy Zande s, a o me Special Ad ise on Religious A ai s, P ince
FM 95.7 owned by P ince Eze Madume e, a o me Depu y Go e no , Megabond FM 97.3 owned by Chie
Lambe Ibe, a o me Commissione , Ojimba FM 106.1 owned by Chie C. Ojimba, a Poli ician and G oo e FM
98.1 owned by Chie John Kennedy Opa a, also a Poli ician. The es a e He i age FM 88.7, owned by Chie
Emeka Du u, a Poli ician; Omalicha FM 91.1 owned by Angela Agoawike, a Poli ician; Toas FM 90.3 owned by
Okey Ezeh, an Indus ialis ; Ozisa FM 96.1 owned by he Ca holic O ganiza ion (NGO) and Ojemba FM 96.9, a
Non-Go e nmen al O ganiza ion. These media ou le s and hei owne s a e a clea es amen o he asse ion
ha media owne ship is concen a ed in he hands o ew indi iduals who ha e acqui ed weal h and powe
h ough poli ics and he go e nmen ha con ol he esou ces o he S a e.
Gene ally, media is widely aken as a ool o p omo e and c ea e awa eness and help people’s posi i e
beha iou al changes in socie y (Adams, 2024). The media ha e o en been c edi ed o he de elopmen o
socie y. To u ilize media o communi y empowe men in Owe i Municipal equi es he implemen a ion o
a ious s a egies. The media play c ucial oles in dissemina ing in o ma ion, aising awa eness, mobilizing
communi y membe s, and ad oca ing o social change. Th ough di e se media channels such as adio,
ele ision, newspape s, social media, and communi y adio s a ions, messages a e ailo ed o each di e en
segmen s o he popula ion and engage hem in empowe men ini ia i es. Fo pu poses o his s udy, i is
impo an o cla i y ha communi y adio s a ions a e qui e di e en om local adio s a ions. The key
di e ence be ween communi y adio and local adio lies in hei owne ship, pu pose, and a ge audience. While
communi y adio s a ions a e non-p o i , olun ee - un ou le s ha p io i ize local con en and communi y
engagemen , local adio s a ions se e a geog aphic egion wi h a mix o na ional and local p og amming. This
s udy is mo e conce ned wi h communi y adio s a ions bu will in e change i wi h local adio s a ions since a
lo o he adio s a ions in Owe i a e local s a ions bu gea ed owa ds add essing he needs o he people and
communi ies.
Un il he eme gence o he local adio s a ions, which in p ac ice se e as communi y adio s a ions, Owe i
Municipali y lacked he pla o ms o sha e i s s o ies. The p esence o se e al local adio s a ions, i espec i e o
hei owne s, helped o gi e oice o so many communi ies whose oices we e once s i led. The his o ical con ex
o media in Owe i e lec s, o a la ge ex en , he g ow h, challenge, compe i ion, and adap a ion, in luenced by
bo h na ional policies and local dynamics. The u u e o media in Owe i is likely o be shaped by he need o
audience accep abili y, con inued echnological ad ancemen s, and he e ol ing needs and expec a ions o i s
audiences. In ecen yea s, he use o collabo a i e media pla o ms has become a powe ul ool o b inging
Jou nal o A ican His o y, Cul u e and A s (JAHCA)
156
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