This study analysed the management of government and private media in South East Nigeria, using Unity FM Abakaliki Ebonyi State and Dream FM Enugu, Enugu State as focal point. The study was anchored on the gatekeeping theory of the mass media. The survey method of research was adopted with an interview guide containing 8 open ended questions for 12 respondents from both media houses. Data generated were presented and analyzed with the aid of simple percentages and frequency tables. Findings show that there are in-house policies that guide their day to activities in the media stations. The major theme in the policy of the government owned media is to relay the government activities to the people and present the government to the people in good light. Findings also indicate that the owners personally employ and educate the editors on the policies and follow them up to ensure that they edit edit reports and programmes content in line with the in-house polices of the management. The study further indicate that the privately owned media has the main objective of profit-making. In the both cases, gatekeeping affect the quality of their programme content. Professional bodies such as the Nigerian Union of journalists (NUJ), should ensure that journalists working in both public and privately managed media strictly adhere to the Code of ethics of their profession.
Keywords: Government, Management, private media, public media
