THE MEDIA AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR POLITICAL AWARENESS: (A CASE STUDY OF RADIO NIGERIA’S PROGRAMME “PRESIDENT EXPLAINS”)

ABSTRACT

This study is aimed at examining “The Media as an Instrument of Political Awareness” with particular reference to the Radio Nigeria programme “THE PRESIDENT EXPLAINS”.

This was with a view of finding out whether the programme had succeeded in achieving its aims and objectives.  It also includes the origin of the programme, a literature review, a statement on the methodology of study, an analysis of data, discussion of the data as well as a reference.

To carry out this research, one method of research inquiry was used.  This approach is survey method, which is the most relevant in determining the impact of media as an instrument for political awareness.

Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to the residents of Ikiriki Community in Enugu South LGA of Enugu State.  This area was chosen because it represents, in general terms, the rural population in the state.

The study revealed that the programme “The President Explains” is very popular among its audience.  An analysis of the data collected has proved that the programme has created some awareness on the audience.

CHAPTER ONE

• BACKGROUND OF STUDY 1
• STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM 6
• OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 8
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 10
• RESEARCH QUESTIONS 11
• RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 12
• CONCEPT IONAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS13
• ASSUMPTIONS 14
• LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 15

 

CHAPTER TWO

• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RADIO 16
• THE RADIO AND PUBLIC AWARENESS 21
• SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW 36

REFERENCES                                                 36

 

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• RESEARCH METHOD 37
• RESEARCH DESIGN 38
• POPULATION AND SAMPLE 39
• MEASURING INSTRUMENT 39
• DATA COLLECTION 40
• DATA ANALYSIS 41
• EXPECTED RESULTS 42

 

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS                                44

• DATA ANALYSIS 44
• RESULTS 44
• TESTING HYPOTHESES 49
• DISCUSSION 52

 

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS         55

• CONCLUSION 55
• RECOMMENDATIONS 55

REFERENCES.                                                58

CHAPTER ONE

 

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

There have been four identifiable ages across time – the Dark, Medieval, Modern and now the Jet/Super Sonic/space and currently the information communication technology age.   According to Knott (1975:14) who said that, man has limited objectives and aspirations during the dark and medieval ages, due to the fact that, the world as at the threshold of modernity, the need for easy interpersonal contacts over appreciable distances was daunting but compelling.  As the saying foes, necessity is the mother of invention.  Against these backdrops, Samuel Morse stood out as agenius.  He developed a point to point communication system via wire with electrical impulses producing audible sound with surface, underground and underwater cables, it became possible to effect communication through morse code from points to points and across countries.

The morse code was a standard means of telegraphic communication for decades, even after popularization of telephones that was invented by Graham Bell in (1875).  The exploits of those who were busy with point-to-point communication encourage four virtually distinctive groups that were working beyond existing, stretch of imagination.  The first group was made up of professional electronic engineers.  They had little or no found initially but gained prominence when they were becoming bolder in their discoveries.  The second group was made up of amateur, who was showing casual interests.  The third group comprised of emerging companies and corporations that were beginning to actually invest in research and development in electronic engineering.  Of course, the government in Europe and Unites States that watched these developments with keen interest and with regulatory intent formed the fourth group.

 

HOW IF ALL BEGAN IN Nigeria:

Africa was almost totally oblivious of the development, if one should look towards the formations of Radio operators worldwide.  In Europe, a company known as the British Broadcasting Company was formed in 1922, while postmaster general licensed it on January 18, 1923 to carry out radio broadcasting.  In 1927, it received the royal charter and changed its name to British Broadcasting Corporation, (BBC).  The fortunes of Radio Nigeria from inception were tied to BBC.  At the earliest stage of these developments, the slave trade was thriving to the detriment of the continent.  The scramble for Africa preoccupied the Europeans when Bismarck convened the Berlin Conference in 1884 – 5.  so, the issues of empire and trade were more paramount than anything else on the continent.  In fact, most of the major landmarks in broadcasting took place when colonial wars were still being fought in Nigeria, leading to the spread of the British sphere of influence from the Lagos colony to the protectorates of Southern and Northern Nigeria.  By the time of the amalgamation of the two protectorates in 1914, for example, radio transmitters were already appearing in the United States of America in whatever crude form they might be.  Radio for instance, is the most important and most powerful media instrument with which the rural areas are familiar because, it can reach all the nooks and crannies of the country instantly unlike the other media.  This is why the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria occupies a very important position not only in Nigeria but also in some African Countries around Nigeria, example:- Ghana, Cameroon, Benin Republic, etc.

Therefore, it is of both academic and practical interest to examine the programme “The President Explains” working with presidential media adviser, according to IROH (2001:5) who introduced the new radio programme aimed at bringing the people closer to the president.  They new current affairs programme was titled “The President Explains”, a monthly 2 – hours – long chat in which the people, via phone-in asked their president questions on any national issue.  The democratic programming content of Radio Nigeria cannot be complete without a mention that the “president explains” is a carefully crafted, issues – oriented network programe, which highlights and discussed current political, economic, social and technological issues.

 

 

 

 

• STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

The aim of this research is to find out at the possible influences of Radio Broadcasting on Ikiriki Community in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Radio as a communication medium is universally accepted by communicators as the best medium, which conquers the barriers of illiteracy, inadequate communication and transputation system and their socio-economic ills which hamper progress and militate against the mass media in under-developed and developing societies.  Radio Communication such as current affairs programme are beamed to an indiscriminate and diversified audience.  It is aimed at both the literate and illiterate, to the city dweller as well as the rural peasant.  As a rural mass medium, radio is a very effective means of getting the rural dwellers informed and educated on things that are vital to their existence as a group.  Radio’s ability to create simultaneous awareness in people is universally recognized.

In democracies, media practitioners are the watchdogs of societies and to function effectively, they should know the needs, aspirations and hopes of the society.

The effects of our unstable polity which emanated from the frequent incursion of the military into the political system, has hitherto made Nigerians cynical about politics generally.

The situation of distrust and suspicion only makes anything political a hard sell and this invariably affects the political awareness of the populace, which will in turn effect their understanding of certain political issues.

What this means is that the ordinary methods of information dissemination such as News – Items, Editorials, Features, Commentary and News Analysis are inadequate.

This is unlike the interactive format of the radio programme the President Explains comes to the rescue through the double barrel approach of interpersonal and instant feedback, which has the advantage of explaining complex policy issues that will enrich the knowledge of listeners.

This research work is aimed at determining the degree of awareness of F.R.C.N’S Current Affairs programme the “PRESIDENT EXPLAINS” has created on the Ikiriki Community.

Radio is therefore, the major source of News and other mass communication messages in the area.

Audience feedback has always created problems for media practitioners and it is the intention of the researcher to determine the impact of the programme on the audience.

 

• THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this is to determine the effect of the radio, as a medium for creating political awareness by bringing the people or audience closer to the president, through an interactive forum titled “THE PRESIDENT EXPLAINS”, a monthly 2 – hours – long hat in which the people via phone – in, ask their president questions on national issues.

The bold step was a selection of manageable survey population in Ikiriki Community in Enugu-South Local Government Area of Enugu State.  “Campus I was thus selected.

This area was chosen because; it represents adequately, the rural audience in Enugu state.

Though, the community is just about, three kilometers from the Idaw-River Girls Secondary School and five kilometers from the Queens Comprehensive Secondary School, there is a general absence of the two schools influence on the people.  They are mainly traders, labourers, and farmers.  As the inhabitants of the community live in clustered village set up, a list comprising the total “campuses” that make up the entire community was drawn and selected as a sampling frame constructed from there, in view of carrying out a sound research work.

This was also with a view to finding out whether the programme had achieved its aims and objectives.

 

• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is to determine the influence of News and Political Programmes beamed consistently, by a radio station for instance, on the people/audience, and how far can the mass media of information be effectively used to influence the public to imbibe new political cultures?  This study will reveal whether the programme “The President Explains” can create the necessary impact on the masses.

It is also hoped that, this finding of research will serve also a stimulant for further investigation by interested professionals.

• RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The need for this research question is to be a guide for the researcher to have constructive questionnaire.

• Is Radio as a communication medium universally accepted by communicators, the best medium, which conquers the barriers of illiteracy?
• Can these programmes actually, achieve their objective if it is well carried out?
• How efficient is Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria in covering both Urban and Rural areas in Nigeria?
• Have you ever listened to any F.R.C.N programme?
• How often do you do so?

 

• RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

H1:   The more a person exposes himself to the programme the “President Explains” the more knowledgeable on National Issues he will become.

H0:   A person’s exposure to the President Explains has no relationship with his level of knowledge on National Issues.

H2:   The more a person exposes himself to the programme, the greater his political awareness.

H0:   A person’s exposure to the programme is not related to his political awareness.

H3:   A person’s literacy level influences his political awareness on National Issues

H0:   A person’s literacy level has no influence on his awareness on National Issues.

H4:   An Interactive program will attract more listeners than any other.

H0:   The interactive nature of programme does not affect its listenership.

 

• CONCEPT IONAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

3. Radio: The conceptional meaning of radio is a wireless receiving set.

Operational meaning:       Sending out information, idea, opinion, etc. through the programme via the airwaves to the audience.

Awareness:      The conceptional meaning of awareness is, conscious, knowing or condition of being aware.

The operational meaning:         Being informed of a particular programme.

Communication:       The conceptional meaning of communication an exchange of information experienced and ideas among people.

Operational Meaning:       It is the process of disseminating information, ideas and attitudes to a relatively large and diversified audience simultaneously.

 

1.8   ASSUMPTIONS:

In undertaking this study, the following assumptions were made.

• That the respondents were exposed to radio programmes.
• That the respondents were all resident of the sample area.
• That the respondents could understand the content of the programme.
• That the respondents political awareness could be influenced by the programme.

 

 

 

1.9   LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

In carrying out a study of this nature, certain constraints were encountered, such as getting the materials or books to put up the literature review of this research.  And also the school reference department doesn’t have enough books to back up the topic under discussion.

Besides, this research work goes pari-passu with my academic programme like quiz, class assignment etc.   So it was quite difficult for the researcher to travel far to collect the necessary material for this study.

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