COMMUNICATION
AND ITS PROBLEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
(NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY}
ABSTRACT
Communication has remained a formidable
sector in the life wire of every society. For a meaningful life and co
–existence in the society, proper use of communication techniques is very
necessary.
This
work was born as a result of concern the
dwindling nature of communication in the developing countries, bedeviled by
problems of both economy and technological set back as a result of which our
communication system has remained a child of misfortune.
We commend
this book, therefore to all communication students who are acquire skills and
knowledge in the different higher institutions all over the country. To media
owners, we hope that this research work will help to improve their livelihood
which has been seriously threatened by these known and unknown problems. To
those practicing communicators who are struggling day and night to improve and
better their skills in the filed. We hope that a context with this book will
help restore their lost hope and confidence
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of
contents
Approval
page III
Dedication IV
Acknowledgement V
Abstract VII
CHAPTER ONE
INTODUCTION
1
Statement
of the existing problems 1
Importance
of the study 9
Objective
of the study 10
CHAPTER TWO
Literature
review 13
Summary of
literature review 39
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Scope and
limitations of study 41
Research
Questions 42
Research
Hypothesis 44
CHAPTER FOUR
Research
Analysis 46
CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion
and Recommendations 52
Bibliography
55
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
When
we considered the ever widening horizon between the third world communication
order in which we have unfortunately found ourselves and the counterpart in the
computer controlled worlds, (the developed countries).
We could not help feeling that sense
of consciousness to brace up with the challenges caused by this imbalance, this
feeling has today motivated us into embarking on this laudable project. A
genuine and committed pursuit to the amelioration, if not outright solution to
these seemingly unattainable problems that bed evil our young but promising
third world communication order.
(1)
STATEMENT OF THE EXISTING PROBLEMS
Communication is synonymous with
understanding when communication does not end with proper decoding, it means
that understanding has been lost understanding can be impaired by a number of
factors, prominent among them is noise. Noise is any factor in the
communication process that does not enhance the proper understating of the
encoded message.
Noise is one
of the most difficult problems that effect, both the print and broadcast media.
In broadcast media it comes in form of hooting noise, poor grammatical
expressions etc. While in the print, anything that tends to derail the readers
mind from the proper understanding of the encoded message is noise. Noise could
be in form of wrong spellings, wring usage of words as well as wrong
punctuation’s .
In
interpersonal communication, noise could come in the form of shabby dressing of
the communicator, a handkerchief bulging from the pocket of the communicator,
or bad make – up. When the encoded message is distorted as a result of noise,
understanding will be adversely effected, the essential of such communication
will therefore be defeated.
Another major
problem that face communication in developing countries is language problems.
For a communication process be seen as successful, the decoding must be an
indication of proper understating. In country like Nigeria, there are about 250 ethnic groups and several language
as well as dialects. Our use of English language is most times hampered by the
intrusion of our local and sectional dialects.
Mr. Chudi
Amafili and Mr. AL. Gwe seem to recognize this in their unpublished lecture
material on radio and television production. They advice thus.” The announcers
voice must be natural a universal voice, one not tied to any local or sectional
dialects. It is only anaive mind who
will not understand the extent of damage, this above mentioned factor can cause
in our communication process. English language is not our mother tongue. It is
our second language and therefore one whose usage is most likely to be affected by the underlying factors in our
first language. The Yoruba’s for instance omit the letter “H” in the
pronunciation of English words because of the restrictions in their language.
The Hausas and the I bos are not free from this dialectic problem. This affect
them both in pronunciation as well as pitch variations.
This language
problem does not stop here, Mr. Mbaachu, the personnel manager to Nigeria coal
co-operation Enugu in his unpublished paper argued that it is only when we are
using our mother tongue for communication that we are at liberty even to the
extent of inventing words, which according to him, is not the same when we use
other people’s lnguage. According to him when one is involved in another
person’s language on remains a learner and never an experts. No wonder them
many communication experts advocate that
local language media house should be established in the local areas to take
care of majority of people in remote area. The next major problem, according to
Mr. Mbaachu is the dynamic nature language both local care of majority of
people in remote area. The next major problem, according to Mr. Mbaachu is the
dynamic nature language both local and foreign. According to Mr. Okenwa, the former Head of department of mass
communication, Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu,
Conventional English demanded that one uses “ you are welcome “ as a response
to an expression of thanks. This is not the same with what use to apply a
couple of years ago another major problem that besieged communicators in the
under developed countries like Nigeria,
is lack of modern communication gadgets / equipment. Reginald Okochi, the press
secretary to the Enugu State Government, in his address to the 1999.
Association of mass communication students (ASMACS) IMT Chapter lamented his
woes, when he was covering the presidency as a radio Nigeria reporter. He narrated the
pains and frustrations they suffered when their counterparts in overseas, aided
by their very sophisticated gadget, were able to punch their news to their
studios, even from their presidential dateline, while he and his colloquies
waited to fax their news at the nearest business centre. What a frustration ?
When one
listens to telephone interview over the voice of America he will be forced to wonder
there is nothing wrong with our local media house whose interviews and remote
productions generally are riddled with noise and distortions and distortions.
Our telecommunication system, station transmitters and even our studio
equipment are so problem ridden, that they frustrate the efforts of our head
working communicators.
Underdevelopment
is indication of the poor state of economy of the country involved. It is
another way of saying that a country is poor. Poverty is one of the greater set
backs on the thirds world communication system. Its is almost foundation years
now that the Nigeria broadcasting
co-operating (NBC) issues licenses to private proprietors to establish and operate
their own electronic media house, but till now only clappers broad, many system
television and few other’s have been able to meet up the deadline not
withstanding the further shift of the deadline. This situations can largely be
attributed to the poor economic situation in the country.
Almost all our
media, both government and privately owned ones are suffering from the problems
posed by obsolete equipment. Radio stations such as Enugu state Broadcasting station collapses
and ressurates at relatively short intervals. When Reginald Okochi was
comforted with the question regarding the above mentioned station, during the
1999 ASMACS week he confessed that the
problem has persisted because of lack of fund “bad economy” The last problem
which is not the least among other problem is, the problem posed by the
government and the law. The relationship between the press and the government
has been described by many known communication scholars “an adversary
relationship” the type of relationship that exist between the cat and rat.
A major
problem exist between the two parties in
the area of control of media of communication.
Another
problems of which is not lesser than the first is in the area of disclosure of
source of information especially when it is a pre –requisite to the discovery
of the truth in the wittiness box. The journalist believe and hold tenaciously
to the fact that they should be allowed to hold back their source from whom
they received information in confidence. According to them, they can not serve
two masters at a time, their conscience and their inquisitors. The journalist
believe that an undertaking given a journalist not to miscue the information is
a matter of conscience. In a lead judgement delivered in Austrian in an appeal
court, the judge helds “ Interalia”.
“No” one
doubts that editors and journalists are sometimes made the repositories of
special confidence which from motives of interest as well as honour, they would
preserve from public disclosure, but the law was faced at comparatively early
stage of the growth of rules of evidence
with the questions of how to resolve the conflicts between the necessary of
discovering the truth in the other hand, he obligation of of secrecy or
confidence, which an individual called upon to testify may in good faith have
undertaken to a party or other persons”
II)
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
The usefulness of this research study to
mass communication students, can be seen in very many ways. This study will
help these future communication problems. This work can be kept in the library
for reference purpose. They will have access to read, comment and criticize it.
Also this study will widen their knowledge, mass communicator already in the
field, will benefit from this study too. When they read this work, it will
improve their skills expose them, to know their past mistakes.
This work will
help media proprietors, whose livelihood is seriously confronted by these
numerous problems. For those who are not in mass communication but make use of
communication in solving their daily problems. We hope that this work will be
very useful to them in improving understanding and efficiency.
III)
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This sub- heading of the
introductory chapter of the course of study “communication and it’s problems,
indeveloping countries” is meant and designed to critically explain to the
barest minimum of what activated both our physical and intellectual effort in
embarking on this project.
Francis . J.
Bergin, in this practical communication and in “communication pedagoguery by Dr
. D.C Aniakor” they pointed out that it has been found out that the course of
communication isinvestable as far as human existence is concerned.
Communication is the soul of any relationship. They also confirmed that any
relationship that lacks good communication network is definitely bound to be
problematic contributed and converted a good number of areas of significance
communication instance. The types of communication, communication channels,
media of communication and several other.
This study as
a matter of fact is deemed necessary to improve the standard of communication,
as adequate and sound communication ensure health relationship between people,
and thus improve some of human problem.
This study
will focus attention on the area of language problems, problems encountered as
result of inadequate communication equipment, devastating economy, neglect to
traditional models of communication and others.