CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Before information can be disseminated to the public, it undergoes strict examination by certain people. These people are known as gate keepers. They limit, expand and recognize or interpret the information the audience receives. This information can be in form of news, film, graphics art and photographs e.t.c.
However, there are lots of scholarly definition of what gatekeeping and who gatekeepers are. The term “gate-keeper” was first used by the Austrian Psychologist, Kurt Lewin. He defines gate-keeper as the individual or groups of persons whose role is to monitor the traveling of news in the communication channel.
Expanding Lewin’s definition, Bittner (1989:12) defines gate-keeper as any person or formally organized group directly involved in relaying and transferring information from one individual to another through a Mass-medium.
Akindele and Lamidi (2001:52) says “A gate-keeper is anybody who has the propensity to start Mass communication industry”, Lewin’s definition of gate-keeper is centered on the people who govern the movement of news within the communication channel.
Bittner in his definition asserts that gate-keeper is any person or formally organized group who has the job of transferring message from one person to another. Analyzing this definition further, we will see that gate-keeper is not graphic communication, censorship etc.
In his word, Bittner asserts that a gate-keeper can be a film producer who cuts scene form a prime time show because it is perceived as being too sexually explicit, a director who determine what segment of film to use in a documentary, a newspaper executives who determines the topic for editorial, or any other individual in the processing or control of messages disseminated through “Mass-media”.
The definition of Lamidi and Akindele emphasized the influence which gatekeeper can have on the final product in the Mass communication industry.
Black and whitney (1983:15) cited in Akindele, Lamidi (2001:52) says gatekeepers “determine what the public read the event they bypass are events that never happened as far as the public is concerned, society exposure to the days reality and fantasy is in the gate-keepers hands”.
Gate-keeper, in my own word is any person or organized group of person who control the flow of information in the mass-communication channel this include reporters, proof-readers, editors and host of others. ‘ This work is concerned with the news disseminated by the press to the public at large. The Nigerian tribune was established and rolled out on Wednesday November 1949. The first issue of the Nigerian Tribune began with a political education project with the serialization of the autobiography of pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian leader whose lifestyle and approach to political was an inspiration to many Nigerian nationalist.
The study will allow people to understand the full role of the Nigerian press and gate keepers in our society. The roles to receive, destroy, treats letters to editors and interpret information shall be stated. However, the primary reason for establishing the Nigerian Tribune is politics and also one interesting things they do is that it has survived strong water. The Nigerian press is a concept which predates states and society.
It is run from the evangelical church journalism in Calabar, alongside of Reverend Henry Townsends Iwe Iroyin Yoruba which had been n the year 1945. The illiteracy and esthetical behavior and ignorance on the part of gate keeper in our media organization have culminated into a state of chaos, ethic and religion clash.
This problem can only be tackled when the gate keepers know their function and follow ethic and law relation to their profession.