The thrust of thrust of this study was to ascertain how the credibility of our local news organization are being perceived by Nigerian audience, especially when they are compared with foreign news organization.
In general, I looked at those factors that militate against the news organizations to be perceived as being credible.
I raised a proposal in which I stated my interest and objective. I used survey research method in conducting this study.
My major objective is to ascertain if there is any significant differences between the audience perception of the credibility of foreign and local news organizations. And if there is, the factors that contribute to that, the implication and recommendations.
Credibility, according to the “Living Webster Encyclopedia Dictionary of English Language”, is the capability of being believed, relied on, or trusted.
To effectively ascertain audience perception of the credibility of the foreign and Local News organizations, one needs to bring to mind how our local stations are viewed in terms of credibility, especially when compared with their foreign counterparts.
Most Nigerians believe that foreign stations like CNN, VOA and BBC get clearer visuals, more instant, objective, balanced, truthful and less distorted news reports. While our local stations are used by the government as propaganda tools, that the news items are filled with biased and opinionated information; that even the so called private electronic media industries are not operating in a free environment that they can face the real societal issues and leave praise singing that has been epitomized with government owned media, among others.
Nigerian communication climate is besieged with stringent regulations and journalists are forced to become government praise singers instead of watchdogs. And since the government is constantly churning out repressive laws, harassment and intimidation against journalists, through extra – judicial measures and powers to make them sycophantic and boo ducking tools, what implications do these have on the listening and viewing audience?
Outside this scenario, there exists a very big “competitor” that toy to “snatch” the highest number of audience members, from the local media organization and that is the foreign news organization. Some of these organizations unlike the local ones, operate in a freer environment where there is high respect for the freedom of press.
Technological, the media in these competing environment are so high that they can go to the whole world clearly with little or no noise. The CNN, VOA and BBC turned the whole world into Marshal Meluhads Global Village.
Thus, while it is still elusive for Nigeria media to reach our local audience with little or no noise interruptions, the foreign News organizations are already reaching Nigerians more clearly, more timely and more balanced.
In this competing world of these local and foreign news organizations, there is only one value that cab used in swaying the greater number of audience to their side, and that is CREDIBILITY.
There is no doubt that in period of crises, the audience rely more on the source they perceive to be credible.
Studies suggest that the more credible the contents, the likely that contents will influence perceptions of social reality (Okeef:1984,519), if an individual perceives that a medium has motives other than the more provision of information, this will weigh heavily in his or her evolution and explosive decision.
An interplay of factors like ownership, professionalism and available facilities affect media performance. For an agency (media) to enjoy widespread patronage, credibility is the name of the new game.
It is this foregoing, that necessitates my interest to carry out a study on THE AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF THE CREDIBILITY OF FOREIGN AND LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATION, especially during the periods of crises.
My aim is to ascertain which news organization (local or foreign), our local populace believes getting information from, during crises. Again from the above, I will review some literature in relation to the study, from the bases of some theoretical framework. Because perception is the conscious blending of message from the media (external information) and persons pass knowledge and experience (internal information) and the station organization and interpretation of the blended information (Kenneth, et al, 1975, 12), I shall try to test how the audience perceive the local organization and their foreign counterpart put into consideration, the two environments.
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