LIST OF TABLES
NETWORK AFRICA AND VOA DAYBREAK
AFRICA FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2003
TABLE II: CATEGORIES OF NEWS REPORTS BY BBC
AND VOA ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
TABLE III: CATEGORIES OF NEWS REPORTS ON
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND THEIR FREQUENCY
BY BBC AND VOA.
TABLE IV: FREQUENCY TABLE OF COVERAGE OF WEST AFRICAN
COUNTRIES BY BBC-NETWORK AFRICA AND VOA- DAYBREAK AFRICA AND THEIR CATEGORIES.
TABLE V: COMPARISON OF THE DIRECTION OF BBC AND VOA NEWS CONTENTS ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
ABSTRACT
This research study was aimed at assessing western media coverage of developing nations, especially west African countries using reportage of BBC and VOA. The categories of news reports on developing countries were examined and also the categories most frequently reported by the western media.
The research technique used was content analysis. The study population were the contents of both BBC (Network Africa) and VOA (Day break Africa) for the month of April 2003. The systematic sampling procedure was used to obtain a reliable sample to work with. A representative sample of seven days each of BBC and VOA was randomly chosen so as to meet up with time- with this, 23% of the population was studied.
Method of data collection was content analysis this was gotten by listening and recording of sample days broadcast from BBC and VOA.
Data analysis and data presentation was done on using tables indicating items in frequency and percentage.
The end of this study finding revealed that little attention was given to development issues such as education, agriculture rather BBC and VOA have been giving greater attention to social issues such as crime, famine etc. the study also showed that some countries were more frequency reported.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: OVER VIEW
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 5
2.1 DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION DEFINED 13
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 25
3.1 RESEARCH TECHNIQUE 26
CHAPTER FOUR:
DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION 35
4.1 PRESENTATION OF DATA 35
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 46
5.1 SUMMARY 47
REFERENCE 51
APPENDIX. 55
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
Communication I an exchange of meaning between two parties where each participant comes into the communication situation with his own experiences which he hopes to exchanges with the other participant. It could as well be said that communication is capable of making things easier simpler and also for the participants to clearly understands their intentions.
Inspite of all these, communication is still considered as being fundamentally a complex phenomenan. It importance has never been in doubt except for the way, method, and the purpose for which man operates the communication has also been seen as a form and means of bringing people together to discuss and forge fresh avenues of achievements and transformations. At the level of international operations, communication is conceived and also expected to redress discord among nations. Universally, communication concerns of every country as well as presents another vista of relation between and among nations of the world.
Unfortunately, the economic and technological fortunes of nations have tended to dictate the tenor of relations between nation in this respect. The more powerful, the richor and the bottor equipped nations with their technological advancement, seems to relates with the less endowed nations as unequal partners who tool to reach out to the world the way the develop nations do.
However, relationship between and amongst nations of the world both in the formal and informal area as in as much as communication is concerned, is supposed to be conducted on the basis of equality, that is, the way and manner the developed nations tend to communicate with the developing nations, the developing nations should also relate to them an the same basis.
According to Macbride et al (pg;34)
“ Political, economic, scientific, technological as well as social and cultural factors
influence of the developed nations over their counterparts in the developing nations having been on the advantages”.
These advantages of the developed nations with factors such as a suitable economy, conducive political environment and the advent counterparts, however shows that some section of the international community mostly the developing nations, are more undesirably than others in the developed nations when it comes to international communication due to lack of technologically advanced communication tools.
Nevertheless, unity of purpose and actions are necessary if these problems of inequality must be addressed. As macbride et, al (91981):36) puts it that “ the mass media are expected to mobilize, conduct as well as generate public opinions in connection with the major question which condition means development and upon which the survival of mankind depends. “
The need for the medium to be free and independent also has to be regarded as an obligation. Unfortunately this freedom sometimes is exercised by the developed nations and is often done in a way that puts the developing nations at great disavantage.
Beside all these, the declaration of the principles of international cultural co-operation adopted by the general conference of UNESCO in (1966) which states that, “broad dissemination of ideas and knowledge, based on the free exchange and discussion, is essential to creative activity, the pursuit of truth and the development of the personality”, has to be adopted.
However, the sentiment expressed by this document remain valid and worthwhile the exercise of this freedom as it affect the free flow of information on the international scene has also degenerated into a one way flow. This realization has therefore led to calls for restatement of the principle on which ‘freeflow’ was based so as to guarantee “free and balanced flow of information among nations of the world.
For some decades now, so much heat has been generated by developing countries on the grounds that the western media coverage on them the developing countries has been terribly inadequate. Worst still, the little coverage done on these developing countries by the western media has often been observed to be done not on good light. They include such reports on; famine; drought, war, violence, outbreak of epidemic etc; as if something good never ever happen in these countries, down here in Africa, which constitutes the main component of some of the developing countries, the same disturbing mode of western media coverage is what is equally exhibited by the western media.
In view of the foregoing situation, to what extent have BBC and VOA reports of the developing countries of west Africa contributed to their transformation and development.
1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
the objectives of this study were:
1. What are the categories of news reports by BBC and VOA on developing countries.
2. What categories of news are more frequently covered by BBC and VOA on these developing countries?
3. Which of the developing countries are more frequently covered by BBC and VOA and what categories of news are carried about them?
4. What is the overall assessment of developing countries coverage by BBC and VOA in terms of positive or negative news?
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY
This study is significant since it is set to find out the categories of news reportage by the western media on developing countries and also to determine which of these categories are reported most on developing countries. This becomes imperative now that the developing countries are trying to fashion out a communication system that will lead t hem to the path of development.
The research will also be of importance to research students of communication arts who will want to know how the developing countries have fared on western media coverage on them.
DELIMITATION
This study shall be delimited to developing countries in Africa, with particular attention to the western region of Africa.
The contents of both BBC- Network Africa and VOA-Daybreak Africa, will be content analysed covering a period of one month (April, 2003).
LIMITATIONS
This study was limited greatly by time. Because of time constraints, the researcher decided to study only the month of Africa 2003.
However, it would have been possible to go further to incorporate a larger population than this but for the problem of time and other factors like; money, relevant text as well as the ability to listen and record appropriately those sample editions of BBC-Network Africa and VOA- Daybreak Africa from a world receiver also posed some problems to the study.
1.7 OPERATIONALIZATION OF CONCEPT
For the purpose of charity, the type of programme used in the study was given an operational definition.
MAGAZINE PROGRAMME: A magazine programme is a kind of programme on radio that usually pulls together variety of subject into one programme. Like the radio documentary, the magazine form can press into music, drama, sound effects news as well as discussion programmes fused into one programme and lasted for thirty minute to one hour. At typical magazine programme is oten descriptive, expository, and like a documentary, always has a narrator.
However, BBC-Network Africa and VOA-Daybreak Africa both are typical examples of a radio magazine programmes handling various subject matters in one programme.
CHAPTER TWO
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