Public Sphere, Development, and the Challenge of Media Censorship in a Dictatorial Democracy: The African Dilemma

Abstract

The post-independence mantra of most African states signaled a continent with varied ability to advance her developmental frontiers. However, this has remained elusive owing to many factors among which is the disillusionment with the ‘public sphere' by the ruling class because the public sphere presupposes and guarantees the consent of the governed in policy formulation, better governmental process, and the possibility of sustainable and true development. This makes the idea of public sphere very important and a normative concept, as it is an ideal for good/accountable governance. On the contrary, the absence of the public sphere, à la media censorship, has resulted in a leadership failure in its entirety, which in turn has truncated and subverted development. Through critical textual and qualitative analysis, the authors advance the argument that there exists a nexus between public sphere, good governance, and development. And the connection has almost been rendered a nullity through the actions/inactions of the political class whose hatred for the public sphere necessitates its negation.