The advent of plural politics in Africa was also
accompanied by burgeoning press freedom. It was assumed that a
free press would underpin the democratic gains and allow for multiple
ideas to flourish. Yet the record seems to suggest that things are
different. The press is increasingly under attack from governments on
the one hand who seek to weaken its capacity to be an effective
message bearer, and on the other, the press itself is also adapting to
and effectively exploiting regional differences in order to maximize its
own profits, perhaps at the expense of national unity.