The Role Of Newspaper And Television As Agent Of Social Development

THE ROLE OF NEWSPAPER AND TELEVISION AS AGENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT

This study was carried with the sole objective of determining the role of Newspaper and television as agent of social development (A case study of Amodu in Nkanu L.G.A Enugu State). The researcher identified the research problems and use them to raise four research questions. Literature relating to the topic under study was review through both primary and secondary sources of literature. The researcher used survey research design that enable them to seek for experts opinions on the topic as well as collect data and interpret same. Also, the researcher used 200 respondents as the sample size used to present the population of the study. She analyzed the data for the study and tested the findings of the study. The findings of the study showed that, Newspaper and Television are agent of social development in Nkanu L.G.A of Enugu State. The researcher summarized the topic under study drawn from conclusion and made recommendation based on the findings she made.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Newspaper and television are too powerful media of communication use to achieve all sorts of social development. Their roles in inputs in the socio-political, economic and other forms of development, cannot be over emphasized, both are mass media which use a number of characteristics to make impact media which use a number of characteristics to make impact on their different audience members. For instance, Newspaper requires the skill of reading for its messages to be understood as well as making  meaningful impact on its readers/audience.

In the other hand, television requires that the viewers understands the language used as the medium of communication for the need to combine sight and sound to make meaning to the viewer. This is why Okenwa (2002: 1) stated that “Communication is central to the process of development to an extent that the dependence of one on the other has  virtually been taken for granted also Ukozor and Nwodu (2003: 27) States that the primary motive of embarking on development communication is to create adequate awareness about the development projects meant to enhance about the well-being of the inhabitants of a given society and by so doing sensitize their adoption of the project. In line with this, the role of Newspaper and television as an agent of social development can be said to be effective when the two media are properly used to achieve the process of development in all ramifications.

To develop is to grow and advance, Growth and advancement cannot be achieved without proper information flow: as Udeze (2002: 8) states “He who controls information controls the economy”. It means that economic advancement brings about development and development at any level can only be said to be sustained where there is media use, media access and media impacts. These factors are at the heart of development. This may have prompted Nwosu (1990: 17) to states: the mass media effects on people because they reinforces people’s attitude and behaviours.

This is because they saw the mass media of communication as possessing that magical awareness creating, innovative, knowledge – imparting, employ raising and knowledge and skil - multiplying capacities required for  rural and national development.

This means that the role of newspapers and television as agents of social development in the development of Amodu community in Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State cannot be over emphasized.

1.2     Statement of the Research Problem

Many rural communities in Nigeria today have not embraced development because they do not have access to what it takes to develop. It must also be said that the role of mass media in general and newspaper and television in particular has not been properly determined in the achievement of  development as well as their functions of rural development because they have been under-utilized.

Also, newspaper and television are two different mass media that uses different means to make impact on the mass or their audiences.

The problem now lies in the fact that rural communities like Amodu have not properly used these media for their social development. Also, the rural dwellers in these   communities are not properly informed by the two media on what social development entails.

Again illiteracy level is a problem in reading newspapers as well as an understanding its contents on social development and lack of basic amenities like steady power supply, poor telecommunications use among others have made it impossible for television to be effectively used in rural areas for all kinds of development.

These problems listed above among others led the researcher to embark on this type of study embark on this type of study

1.3     Objective of the Study

The following are the objectives of this study they include:

1)          To determine whether newspaper and television play an important role as agent of social development of Amodu community in Nkanu L.G.A of Enugu State.

2)          To determine whether rural areas in Nigeria have access to development communication for their social development.

3)          To determine whether mass media in general play an important role in the overall development of Amodu community.

4)          To find out whether newspaper is more effective in social development than television of vice versa

5)          To find out if illiteracy is a problem in social development of rural area in Enugu State.

6)          To find out if these are basic amenities in Amodu community in Nkanu L.G.A of Enugu State to encourage social  development.

7)          To make recommendation for further studies on the topic and for policy formulation on the topic of study.