paper looks at how the ownership of media organizations across the continent has interfered with the standards of professionalism in journalism. The paper will use the social responsibility theory and the libertarian theory to serve as theoretical framework. The paper will dwell more on the role of ownership in the media coverage of some African 10 MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND ITS IMPACT ON MEDIA INDEPENDENCE AND PLURALISM 1. INTRODUCTION Noam Chomsky repeatedly points out a simple conclusion that no conspiracy theory is needed for the analysis of media deviations in western countries. A handful of individu-als and corporations that today own the majority of media outlets, acquired their holdings Types of Media Ownership in Nigeria Basically, there are four kind of media ownership. They include: 1. Government ownership 2. Private ownership 3. Mixed ownership and 4. Community ownership 1. Government ownership: These are media organizations that are being set up, financed, owned and managed by the governments. 4.2.1 Sole Proprietorship The sole proprietorship is the simplest and most popular form of ownership. This form of business ownership is designed for a business owned and managed by one individual. Sole proprietorship is the easiest kind of business for you to explore in your quest for an interesting career.