| Title: | Knowledge and Perception of Journalists in Port Harcourt Metropolis on the Whistle-Blower Protection Bill |
| Author(s): | DAVID Philip Teniola, ASHIBUOGWU John Ubamaka, BONIFACE Nikki Nimitenbofa & OLADIRAN Olateju Abiodun |
| Abstract: | The media through its watchdog function plays an influential role in holding the government and public office holders accountable to its citizens especially in a society like Nigeria where corruption has been so pervasive across several institutions. To address this corruption menace, the federal government of Nigeria developed a whistleblower protection draft bill in 2024 to enhance the effectiveness of the existing whistleblower policy. Against this backdrop, this study therefore examined he knowledge and perception of journalists in Port Harcourt metropolis on the whistle-blower protection bill. The study was anchored on the social responsibility theory. Through the use of descriptive survey, the study sampled the opinion of 160 journalists in Port Harcourt metropolis. Findings from the study revealed that awareness of the bill exists among journalists but only at a surface level, a detailed knowledge of the legal and protective dimensions of the bill is lacking among a significant proportion of journalists. The study also revealed that journalists are generally very positive about the bill as they believe if well drafted, it would enhance transparency and accountability in governance. The study therefore recommended that relevant stakeholders should encourage the legislative arm of the government to push for the bill to become an act. |
| Keywords: | Whistle-blower, Media, Journalists, Knowledge, Perception, Corruption |
