The pace of social development everywhere seems to be quickened by the important roles the mass communication play in our society. Unfortunately modern journalism and the effect of gratification is on the increase and it has now posed seriously concern to enlightened Nigerians.
The study is aim to find out why Journalism demand gratification and if the practice influences the selections of news to be aired.
A survey was employed in the study, responses were coded in percentages and presented in tables. The result of the study shows the lack of financial stability is the major reason why modern journalists demand and accept gratification.
Mass media such as radio, television and newspapers are those channel of information which can make simultaneous message available for a diversified public.
This ability to reach large audience both those in the rural and urban areas makes the agent of mass information very attractive to those who wishes to influence the masses, their actions and reactions to events, in a predetermined direction. Unknown to many perhaps is the fact that not all the news stories they hear these days from the radio, watch on television and even read from the newspaper are selected or used purely because of their news values.
There are traditional criteria for judging certain events, ideas, places and personalities as newsworthy in journalism, as Mac Bride (1980) put it “Important events especially in the countryside are pushed aside by unimportant events, trivial news items concerning urban events and the activities of personalities.
Inextricably linked to the present corrupt practices in the country today is gratification practices by journalist demanding or receiving gratification to perform their official duties or using positions of authority and power to exhort gifts either directly or indirectly, although hen questioned, some journalist explained that most of the gift they receive were insignificant as far as they are concerned saying that it is a small taken of appreciation for their work and will be less willing to accept the gifts if they were better paid.
In government ownership of mass media, journalist are not well paid event the money for their fare is very difficult to be provided and still the government makes sure that the journalist working under them dance to their tune instead of perfuming their rightful duties as a watch dog in the society. Even when the journalist write stories that should be published the editors will make sure that they edit and correct the news stories and sometimes they intentionally remove or censor vital information from been published so that they will not be sacked by the government without bearing in mind that it is very detrimental to the development of the society as a whole.
Today, there are private owned media organisation whose aim is to propagate the truth, no matter the circumstance wihtou any gratification acceptance and so the journalist have to be very careful of what he is publishing, libelous and seditions statement should be removed by the editor because it can earn the journalist who wrote the story a jailed sentence or the establishment closed.
However the journalist must not rush to the editorial room with a story whose facts have not be thoroughly checked, besides he must make it a point of duty to acquaints himself with the constitutional provisions governing libel, slander, sedition, defamatory and obscenity so that if at anytime he is charged with any of the offence he would be able to defend himself successfully in collaboration with his lawyers.
Same professional journalist that are objective and non subjective in writing their news stories don’t mind any hazard they will encounters but they only wants to project the good image of their media house for individuals to believe and have truth on any of their publish stories, for instance, a journalist was assassinated while performing his lawful duty, the journalist was no less a person than Dele Griwa, the chef executive of news watch magazine who was killed by a letter bomb in his study in Lagos although he is dead but his effort of his objectivity was recognized, he never depended on any gratification and that was why he was assassinated.
Moreover, the rest chapters will elaborate more on the topic using Enugu State Broadcasting Station or A case study.
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