CHALLENGES FACING NIGERIAN MEDIA ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

1.1 Introduction

Media refers to informational outlets such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and journals that can disseminate the same message to a wide audience regardless of how far away the message originates. The Media has been regarded as a valuable tool for economic, social and political development in the rural areas. Every community needs the full support of Government on rural development in order to be full civilized, even for them to know the basic needs and situation of the state economy, because of these reasons, it is imperative now for the Mass Media to be used as the only ways by which people will be nurtured on the new developments. Despite all the changes brought about by information on social scene as well as in media remains a dominant factor with its capacity to appeal to the minds of people.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Mass media in Nigeria evolved over the years. This is because from the establishment of the first newspaper Iwe Irohin by Reverend Henry Townsend in 1859 to the stage of media commercialization in the 1990s, management and operation of media organizations in Nigeria have been topsy-turvy. The international development community does not obviously attach a clear priority to supporting the conditions for more informed societies to emerge. The strategies needed to support more informed societies are shrouded in contention and a lack of consensus. The danger remains that governance actors will simply ignore the issue as too difficult, too politically complex and too sensitive to confront. If they do so, they risk ignoring a central means through which governance outcomes will be shaped in the 21st century.

Mass media are very important tool of communication through which information is passed to even the farthest end of the world. They enable us to communicate with each other by helping us to overcome the barriers of time and space. They perform both primary and secondary functions for the society.

Mass media function in various ways. First, mass media keep us well informed of the happenings around us and of the world which will otherwise remain unknown. The media also persuade us mostly through advertisements. Also, the mass media gives us entertainment. Television and radio broadcasting provides us with a big variety of programs which both educates and entertain us. The media systems that exist in a society are directly related to the political system prevalent in that society.

The political system determines the exact relationship between the media and the government. The political system in place also determines the relationship between the media and the people. It also determines to what capacity the media will operate. The political system in a country also affects the flow of information in the country in which it operates. It, for example, the political system in place in a country is an authoritative one there will be no free flow of information as the media will be acting in fear of the government and will cover the information that the government want the people to be informed about and so the people if that country will continue to live in ignorance of the activities of their government. But since Nigeria is a democratic society, the researcher is going to talk about the role of the media is a democratic society.

The role of the news media in a democratic society springs from the right of the people to learn about matters of public concern. Nigerians, as members of a democracy, claim a freedom to speak about the workings of government, and entitlement to debate government conduct and a right to demand that policy makers defend their decisions such things rely on access to information. People can play a useful role in a democracy and hold their government accountable only if informed well enough to do so.

In this context, the news media act as both a conduit and a watch dog. Free expression also encourages a government to be answerable to its people. Indeed, because of advances in Internet communications and the mass media, at no time in history have governments been better able to answer directly to those who elect them. But there are limits in the scope of information people have access to so, it is the job of the news media and the journalists to pass on correct and concise information to the people so that they are kept abreast of the activities of their government and their environment. This brings us to broadcast management and media owners.

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via radio, television, or other digital transmission media. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof. It is imperative to note that broadcasting organizations has various things it offers to its audience. Those offerings of the organization are regarded as programs of the organization, programs are artistic products packaged as tangible goods in an economic sense for the consumption of audience of a broadcast channel in the medium (Owuamalam, 2002).

Radio news programs are designed for the ears because it is an audio oriented medium. It is however regarded as an audio visual medium because the audience can see the programs through their minds eye and be able to interpret it. Broadcasting management is the organizing and control of the affairs of the broadcasting organization. The control of a broadcast management or media house influences the content of news that will be broadcast to the audience.

Private ownership of media houses was not allowed until 1992 under the Babangida administration, when due to mounting agitation and pressure he was forced to establish National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) which successfully licensed private individual to participate in broadcasting. This brings us to the issue of media ownership.

It is obviously true that mass media owners exert a threatening control over the press, whether a mass media is managed by a board of directors appointed by private owners or by a public corporation established by the government. The media have policies set too by the board. The policies define the short term and long term operations.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Challenges Facing Nigerian Media Establishments in the Dissemination of Information.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that most news covering in Nigeria are determined by the owners and gatekeepers of the organization. These owners are those in the helm of affairs of the government, and like the ruling government, the gate keepers take orders from owners. Their rank and file includes the management of radio stations and the various news editors and news and program producers. The philosophy of any media operation in Nigeria depends on the government in place.

The right news covering decision and programming can lead to success for the radio station. Whatever the practice in Radio Nigeria (FRCN) federal Radio corporation of Nigeria, the influence of leadership and gate keeping on programs are still present and if is not handled well, it may greatly impair the success of any program, so this is what the research is aimed at finding out.

It is hoped that answers arrived would help the researcher make some observation and policy proposals that would help re-address the present problems of radio news coverage in Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), if ever.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Challenges Facing Nigerian Media Establishments in the Dissemination of Information using Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Enugu as a reference point. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To determine the influence of ownership or leadership on dissemination of news in FRCN Enugu;
2. To find out whether dissemination of news is people’s interest oriented or owner’s interest oriented;
3. To ascertain the influence of gate keepers on news dissemination; and
4. To proffer relevant suggestions in likely areas of recommendation and improvement.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Do the media work enough in reporting issues in high places of government administration?
• Do the media have sufficient freedom needed for their operational efficiency?
• What is the nature of challenges facing the media in information dissemination? 
• To what extent is the pattern of news people interest oriented or owner’s interest oriented?
• To what extent do media influence news dissemination?
• To what extent does the gate keeper influence news dissemination?
• What are the suggested areas of recommendation and improvement?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H1: Ownership or leadership does not have any influence on news dissemination.
• H1: Ownership or leadership of a media house has influences on news dissemination.

Hypothesis Two

• H0: The news dissemination of FRCN Enugu is not owner’s interest oriented instead of people’s interest oriented.
• H1: The news dissemination of FRCN Enugu is owner’s interest oriented instead of people’s interest oriented.

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1.7 Significance of Study

The choice of FRCN as opposed to radio stations is because of its significance in Nigeria. Perhaps, as it has often been said to be the largest radio network in Africa, besides this, it has been a relying point for people (listeners) to hear at prime listening time. Much attention is paid to the news story on network period by Nigerians.

FRCN is believed to have surpassed any other radio station in terms of its wider reach. The ultimate significance of this study will lie with its final utility and its ability to influence the on-going policies on how, where and what news to cover for Nigerian(s).

This study will serve as a basic for carrying out further research and evaluation of how the challenges in the media can be faced bearing in mind that, what is obtainable in FRCN station will also be applicable in other media stations in the country.

Therefore, there is hope that the finding posted in the work will be beneficial to other students and researchers attempting to research on a similar project.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Challenges Facing Nigerian Media Establishments in the Dissemination of Information using Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Enugu as a case study.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this research work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research Material: Availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
5. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Influence:

It means the effect of the government’s ownership or leadership on FRCN news coverage Enugu.

Media:

The media are tools of communication FRCN as a mass medium tries see how functions, whether it performs all the functions of a medium without intrusion of bias because of its owners or leaders.

News Coverage:

This means sourcing for data, information (news) being covered. Also, to find out if the news covered is people’s oriented or government interest oriented.

Ownership:

Ownership means the legal right to possess something. It is the ownership of a media house especially the ownership of the FRCN station Enugu that manipulates the performance, news coverage and other programs of FRCN.

Challenges:

It means the hindrances or constrains which make the media not to execute their duties effectively and efficiently.

Dissemination:

It means a way by which the media carry out their social responsibility in order to tell their audience what is happening within and outside their society.

Media Information:

It is a programme of the media which are used to educate, entertain, mobilize, sensitize, inform and socialize the masses concerning everyday activities within and outside the society.