CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study.
Mass media are
very important tool of communication through which information is passed to
even the farthest end of the world. They enable us to communicate with each
other by helping us to overcome the barriers of time and space. They perform
both primary and secondary functions for the society.
Mass media
function in various ways. First, mass media keep us well informed of the
happenings around us and of the world which will otherwise remain unknown. The
media also persuade us mostly through advertisements. As we can see newspapers,
magazines, radio and television.
Also, the mass
media gives us entertainment. Television and radio broadcasting provides us
with a big variety of programs which both educates and entertain us. The media
systems that exist in a society are directly related to the political system
prevalent in that society. The political system determines the exact
relationship between the media and the government. The political system in
place also determines the relationship between the media and the people. It
also determines to what capacity the media will operate. The political system
in a country also affects the flow of information in the country in which it
operates. It, for example, the political system in place in a country is an
authoritative one (i.e. Military rule) there will be no free flow of
information as the media will be acting in fear of the government and will
cover the information that the government want the people to be informed about
and so the people if that country will continue to live in ignorance of the
activities of their government. But since Nigeria is a democratic society, the
researcher is going to talk about the role of the media is a democratic
society.
The role of the
news media in a democratic society springs from the right of the people to
learn about matters of public concern.
Nigerians, as
members of a democracy, claim a freedom to speak about the workings of
government, and entitlement to debate government conduct and a right to demand
that policy makers defend their decisions such things rely on access to
information. People can play a useful role in a democracy and hold their
government accountable only if informed well enough to do so. In this context,
the news media act as both a conduit and a watch dog. Free expression also
encourages a government to be answerable to its people. Indeed, because of
advances in Internet communications and the mass media, at no time in history
have governments been better able to answer directly to those who elect them. But
there are limits in the scope of information people have access to so, it is
the job of the news media and the journalists to pass on correct and concise
information to the people so that they are kept abreast of the activities of
their government and their environment. This brings us to broadcast management
and media owners.
Broadcasting is
the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via radio,
television, or other digital transmission media. Receiving parties may include
the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof. It is imperative to
note that broadcasting organizations has various things it offers to its
audience. Those offerings of the organization are regarded as programs of the
organization, programs are artistic products packaged as tangible goods in an
economic sense for the consumption of audience of a broadcast channel in the
medium (Owuamalam, 2002).
Radio news
programs are designed for the ears because it is an audio oriented medium. It
is however regarded as an audio visual medium because the audience can see the
programs through their minds eye and be able to interpret it.
Broadcasting
management is the organizing and control of the affairs of the broadcasting
organization. The control of a broadcast management or media house influences
the content of news that will be broadcast to the audience. Also the type of
government policy/policies that the management will implement.
Private
ownership of media houses was not allowed until 1992 under the Babangida
administration, when due to mounting agitation and pressure he was forced to
establish National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) which successfully licensed
private individual to participate in broadcasting. This brings us to the issue
of media ownership.
When US media
pundit A. J. Liebling wrote that freedom of the press belongs to those who own
one, he summed up the emotion that separates the media business from virtually
any other enterprise. The press today, more generally, the mass media stands
not simply for the power to cover information but crucially for the assumed
ability to shape attitudes, opinions and beliefs. The media are the vehicles
for education and propaganda. Who controls these outlets and what the player’s
intentions are for their use have been a contentious issues at least since the
15th century. When both church and state recognized the potential of the
printing press and immediately sought to control it.
Media ownership
pattern has become central to the discussion on class media and society because
as Edeani (1985) pointed out.
“The nature of
ownership of any press system determines to a great extent whether that press
is dynamic, vigorous, responsive and responsive press; or and emasculated,
timid, spineless, ineffectual or irresponsible press”.
However, we have
three main categories of media ownership namely; Government ownership, Private
ownership, Mix ownership.
But the
researcher will be constrained to government and private ownership of media.
Government
ownership implies that the medium completely financed by the government e. NRCN
(Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) and NTA (Nigerian Television Authority)
etc. in government ownership; the government not only finances the media house,
but also encrypts policies for the media and helps in implementing them. The
government previews the news content and news programs to see if they agree
with their policies and what they (the government) want. Also, any news that
the government does not want to be made known to the public and is in the news
content, the government will erase out of the news content.
Also the
government further controls the media by their decision to invest or not to
invest. The government’s interest wilt be reflected in the appointment of
competent staff.
Private
ownership on the other hand refers the situation where individuals (one person
or group of persons) establish, finance and direct the administration of a
media organization. Example of privately owned media houses or organization are
AlT (African Independent Television), MINAJ BROADCAST, SILVER BIRD etc. whether
a station is government or private owned, the key variable is listenership and
viewership, what the audience wants should be balanced with what the broadcast
feel they should hear.
Influence on the
other hand is both external and internal since there is nucleus of
interdependence or co-existence in the media organization. Shoemaker and Rees
(1991) said that there are many established groups we often influence the
message of broadcast and print media. This group ranges from proprietors
influences, leadership influence and house policy.
There is a
common saying with regards to mass media control in Nigeria and elsewhere which
had become a cliché that “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”. This means
that owners of mass media organization, channel and control what the media
covers (reports) and broadcast and how they broadcast and how they broadcast
it.
It is obviously
true that mass media owners exert a threatening control over the press, whether
a mass media is managed by a board of directors appointed by private owners or
by a public corporation established by the government. The media have policies
set too by the board. The policies define the short term and long term
operations.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In Nigeria, most
news covering are determined by the owners and gatekeepers of the organization.
These owners are those in the helm of affairs of the government, and like the
ruling government, the gate keepers take orders from owners. Their rank and
file includes the management of radio stations and the various news editors and
news and program producers. The philosophy of any media operation in Nigeria
depends on the government in place. The problem in this study is examine the
impact of leadership decision on radio news coverage.
Secondly, how these
decisions can serve public interest. Thirdly, how to convince the government to
interfere less in running the affairs of the station to their own interest
instead of the public interest.
The right news
covering decision and programming can lead to success for the radio
station. Whatever the practice in Radio
Nigeria (FRCN) federal Radio corporation of Nigeria, the influence of
leadership and gate keeping on programs
are still present and if is not handled well, it may greatly impair the success
of any program, so this is what the research is aimed at finding out.
It is hoped that
answers arrived would help the researcher make some observation and policy
proposals that would help re-address the present problems of radio news
coverage in FRCN, if ever.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This research is up to achieve
the following objectives:
1. To
find out the influence of ownership or leadership on dissemination of news
In FRCN Enugu.
2. To
find out whether dissemination of news is people’s interest oriented or owner’s
interest oriented.
3. To
ascertain the influence of gate keepers on news dissemination.
4. To
try to make suggestions in likely areas of recommendation and improvement.
1.4 Research Questions
The following
questions if properly answered will achieve the aforementioned objectives of
the research.
1. To what
extent do media influence news dissemination?
2. To what
extent is the pattern of news people interest oriented or owner’s interest
oriented.
3. To what
extent does the gate keeper influence news dissemination?
4. What are
the suggested areas of recommendation and improvement?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
The hypothesis
mentioned below will help the researcher carry out her research more
efficiently and will give her more focus and an agenda.
Ho: Ownership or leadership does not have any
influence on news dissemination.
H1: Ownership or leadership of a media house has
influences on news dissemination.
Ho: The news dissemination of FRCN Enugu is not
owner’s interest oriented instead of people’s interest oriented.
H2: The news dissemination of FRCN Enugu is
owner’s interest oriented instead of people’s interest oriented.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The choice of
FRCN as opposed to radio stations is because of its significance in Nigeria.
Perhaps, as it has often been said to be the largest radio network in Africa,
besides this, it has been a relying point for people (listeners) to hear at
prime listening time. Much attention is paid to the news story on network
period by Nigerians.
FRCN is believed
to have surpassed any other radio station in terms of its wider reach. The
ultimate significance of this study will lie with its final utility and its
ability to influence the on-going policies on how, where and what news to cover
for Nigerian(s).
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
1. Influence: means the effect of the
government’s ownership or leadership on FRCN news coverage Enugu.
2. Media: the media are tools of
communication FRCN as a mass medium tries see how functions, whether it
performs all the functions of a medium without intrusion of bias because of its
owners or leaders.
3. Ownership: ownership means the legal
right to possess something.
It is the
ownership of a media house especially the ownership of the FRCN station Enugu
that manipulates the performance, news coverage and other programs of FRCN.
4. News Coverage: this means sourcing for
data, information (news) being covered. Also, to find out if the news covered
is people’s oriented or government interest oriented.