Media, Deglobalisation and the rise of Nationalism in a 'Covidized' world: The case of Nigeria

Abstract: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unprecedented in the history of the global health system. It affects every sphere of human endeavours, shutting down human activities and spreading across boundaries within the northern and southern hemispheres. Although the COVID-19 virus is a global health problem, attempting to tackle the pandemic has led to a rising nationalistic consciousness rather than a global approach. As such, territorial protection dominates political discourse and decisions on curbing the spread of the virus, while international collaboration becomes secondary. At the same time, the national media systems, both mainstream and social media, which are at the centre of communication about the virus and attempts to manage and contain it, became a part of the agenda, promoting narratives that cue the government's stance. Using semi-structured interviews as the data collection method, this paper analyses how deglobalisation and nationalism influence the policies and decisions of the government in Nigeria. The semi-structured interview involves twenty-one participants selected through the purposive sampling method. Interview participants include government officials, policymakers, and top Foreign Affairs Officials involved in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and selected citizens. Findings show that decisions and measures taken by the government, especially during the first and second waves, were influenced by nationalism and the need for territorial protection. Furthermore, findings show that citizens are gradually becoming glocalised with the influence of the media system, including online media.

Keywords: COVID-19, Deglobalizing, Nationalism, Mass media, Glocalisation

Published: June 2024

Issue: Vol 1 (3) 2024: PLASU JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES