THE IMPACTS OF NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION ON MASS MEDIA IMAGE IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The thrust of the study fringed on the impact of News commercialization on mass media image in order to achieve the goal, the researchers sub divided the work into file chapters in chapter – one the work dwelt on the background of the study, proposed some research problems objectives, significance and hypothesis, the next chapter touched on relever literature in the study while the third chapter examines the methodology the survey research method using the questionnaire was employed the simple percentage and frequency table were used to analyse the date and illustrate the results in chapter four. Four research questions were designed and four hypothesis formulated the four hypothesis received statistical support and upheld. The research through made serious effort to make the worker comprehensive but cannot claim absolute confidence in the work. The research in chapter five summed up the study and made recommendations for further study. The negative impact of this policy on mass media image is devastating and the research wants after forms of revenue to be beefed up and the policy stream lined to avoid conflict.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Nothing is as contentious
Nothing is of utmost joy
Nothing is as rapturously delightful as an event whose time has come victor Hugor.
There are basically four avenues open for the mass media to raise funds for their operations. They are through government subvention advertising, sales of media revenue and denation. Today people donate funds for the man media operation the sale of media license is also a thing of the past while government subvention is on the decline this reviling.
Advertising is now the only source of revenue for the mass media. The introduction of structural adjustment programme SAP in 1986 by Ibrahim Babangida mitating administration seriously affected the lever of financing of the mass media industry as well the standard of living in Nigeria confirming a former Director of programmes Nigeria Television Authority Victoria Ezeokoli says:
NTA’s problems is not one of creating
Entertainment programmes. It is the big financial squeeze. It is the lack of facilities to produce high quality programmes to meet the very meticulous taste of Nigerians.
Since revenue derivable from Advertising alone was insufficient to run the media, the Hamza Zayyad’s technical committee on privatization and commercialization (TCPC) was set up to find out ways to sustain the mass media.
The committee recommended various ways to raise funds to pay salaries procure state of the art equipment and services some of the manageable outdate ones. One of the harsh measures were the deregulation of the Broadcast media and news commercialization the led to mass retrenchment of staff in government owned mass media outfits, commercial owned mass media outfits, commercial advertisement spot announcements, programme sponsorship and the notorious “let them pay” (LTD) charges to raise and increase revenue for the mass media. This policy made news a commodity to be paid for before they are disseminated to the audience through the concept of news as a commodity for sale started in 1811 when Samuel Gilbert started collecting news in his coffee bar/shop. His assistance Samuel Topliff took over the business of collecting news from Gilbert . he puts the news together and collect a fee before you read the news. Almost simultaneously Charleys Hauas began to sell news as a commodity in 1825. Bernald Wollf in 1848 also sold news in France as a commodity representing wolf Agency in 1851 Paulius Julius Reuter began to sell news as a commodity as an agent of Reuter News Agency But apart from the daily times news the world over are selected only for their traditional news values.
According to Mac Dougal (1997:25) the general writers by which to determine the potential newsworthiness of stories are timeliness, proximity, prominence consequence and Human interest whole the news elements are five W’s and H. they are the who the what, the why the when and the How.
However, while Western (developed countries) criteria’s for news is hinged bizame, prominent persons and powerful people powerful and highly developed nation, the developing nations is correct ideology activities of the party construction and positive events – highlighting developments of drugs like new dams new. Building, news roads and program generally preaching and teaching. But the common thing among the western and eastern criteria of news is that what constitute news is determined only by the news values and not by how much one can pay.
According to defleur and Dennis (1999.73) the first publish information that can be regarded as news came shortly after the birth of Christ, when the Roman senate started providing lacking report about its actions decision, along with more general information on political and social life. It was called the “acta dinerna populi Roman” (the daily transactions of the senate) these handwritten news sheets pasted in public places on daily basis.
The new story is undoubtedly the most potent way for public information are the mass media in Nigeria have an obligation to provide it accurately, impartially and objectively.
Since he who pays the pipes-dictates the tune, the news caditor is confronted with the problem of how to please the sponsor and also satisfy the audience.
Therefore since a journalist is expected to be guided by the professional codies of him profession he should kill some stories. But how a journalist perform this duty judiciously when someone has paid for the story to be used. In this circumstances, the journalist in faced with the task of compromising his duty to accept the money or forfeit the money to adhere for codes of professional Ethics. He is in a dilemma since the money is required to procure and services equipment, run the station as well as pay salaries at the end of the month. When we look at reasons for establishing the media such as power motive, knowledge motive and profit motive we discover that the major reason was to serve the public and give them access to the media with the policy of news commercialization journalistic criteria may be discarded paving way for a situation where significant trends.
Especially in the rural arrears by crucial news items paid by personalities. This may reducer the publics right to know of events of public importance and interest because more attention will be given to paid stories. What happens to the integrity of news editors? What happens to the media audience who consume the stories as pure news not knowing that the stories were paid for? What is the fate of poor and illiterate one’s in the society who are denied access to the public media run by their taxes money?
What happens to the credibility of the mass media when many disconnects that a not of the stories they are exposed to are not selected because of their news worthiness?
What happens to the social service or public – service role of which is the man aim of establishing public media? When access to the media are determined by how much money one can pay to the media? These are mind buying questions. Surely, the impact of news commercialization on the mass media image is bound to have a disturbing effect on media credibility democratization among others we shall attempt answer these questions. This is why this study is importive we shall critically examine the impact on media credibility democratization of communication national development and the integrity of journalists.
The introduction of news commercialization created numerous
problems. Some of the major problem include the denial of the poor and illiterates access to the public media run with their tax money. It also derived the public their right to know about public events which are scarified to give more space and airtime is of great importance for acceptance of information is threatened.
News commercialization negate all fundamental principles of fairness, equity balance and objectivity.
These problems hinder the snoot operation of the media necessitating the study.
The primary thrust of the work is to examine the impact of
News commercialization on mass media image in an attempt to examine this the researcher.
I.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In the course of seeking for literature to review for this work, the researcher discovered that little or no work had been done in the area of news commercialization. Perhaps this may be because of it is a new concept. But because of the obvious problems it has raised it has become very important to examine it.
THE RESEARCHER
At a time when poverty is increasing are very few can afford to acquire formal education, the mass media is needed to provide non-formal education the masses.
Therefore, it is the hope of the researcher that this study will highlight the negative impact of the policy and serve as guide the policy makers, the government and media managers to find measures to check them.
The researcher hopes that many practicing journalist, communication students and other researcher will find this useful.
Further more, media planners and management will find this invaluable.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The researcher hopes to examine the following questions.
Ho: Commercialization of News does not reduce the level of public service news stories in the mass media.
H2: Commercialization of News limit access to the mass media by the poor and illiterate people.
H0: Commercialization of News does not limit access to the mass media by the poor and illiterate people.
H3: Commercialization of News leads to friction between News Editors and News sponsors?
Ho: Commercialization of News does not lead to friction between News Editors and News sponsors.
H4: Commercialization of New affects the credibility of the media negatively.
Ho: Commercialization of New does not affect the credibility of the media negatively.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
One of the major limitation of the study was that the researcher was always traveling between Enugu and Lagos to keep her ob. The research also bothered during the period by visa problem because she intends to travel immediately after graduation to attend a training. It was also limited by time constraints because the researcher had to share her time to keep her job and do the study. Funds were also not enough as the researcher experienced economic Iguezo during the period because she paid so much for her traveling documents to a foreign country.
1.8 ASSUMPTIONS
The study is based on the following assumptions. That news commercialization is not known by many media audience. That the policy affects the social service role of media. That due to the new commercialization many people are deny access to the media. That the policy is negates fairness and objectivity.
CONCEPUTAL DEFINITIONS
1) MASS MEDIA: Channels of information dissemination such as Radio Television, Newspaper and Magazines.
2) News Newly received note worthing information.
3) News commercialization payment for information before they are published.
4) Public service information: Information that will be of benefit to the larger society.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MASS MEDIA: Public channels of mass communication especially radio and television.
News on account of an event and not the event itself.
News commercialization: Demand for payment for information concerning events of personalized nature like installation and launchings.
Public service information: Information that is meant to enlighten member of the public member of the public such as information about health care and government policies.
| 1 - 5 of 96 Reviews |