NEWSPAPER READERSHIP OF EDITORIAL PAGE

1.1 Introduction

Reading newspaper informs readers’ as well as enhances the readers’ literacy skills. Therefore, the newspaper serves as a tool for learning, especially among communication students. However, newspaper readership among students in Nigeria has been an issue of concern. Reading is the heart of learning, especially in formal education settings like University system. Reading increases one’s knowledge and thinking about a particular subject, and the society as a whole (Faizli, 2012).

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, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Today, newspapers joined other mass media to also deliver their contents digitally. But as readers rush to online content, it is possible that conventional print newspapers may suffer a decline in readership (Aliagan, 2011). There is growing evidence that shows high usage of online platforms as sources of news and information among college or university students around the world (Ani, 2010; Adekunmisi, Ajala, & Iyoro, 2013, Shadrach & Abugu, 2019 etc.).

Although a newspaper is hardly ever known as views paper, it is remarkable how often a newspaper is known not for its news, but for its views, while news is sacred and opinion that evidently counts. News frequently is transient but views of opinion have the aura of certain permanence about them. It is in attempt to separate news from news that newspaper creates editorial columns as against the news columns. In contemporary society, newspaper society, newspaper business and editorials are becoming more vital and are widely read more than some other article in the entire newspaper. In most cases, it is primarily the reader who pays the closest attention to editorial contents and who are most likely to be influenced by them.

According to Rajendran and Thesinghraja (2014), Readership habits seem to be changing as users turn to the internet for free news and information. The instant feature of the social media and the online news were one of the smart options for the consumers to accept it globally. Newspaper is a mass medium which conveys timely information issue at regular interval of time. As a mass medium, newspapers are useful for education, information, recreation, relaxation and entertainment. This explains why Ola and Ojo (2007) remark that newspapers are important because they carry current information and they keep the readers informed of events and happenings within and outside their immediate environments.

Obaid (2014) concurs that newspapers are the textbooks that provide up to date information on local, state, national and world affairs, the most current analysis and criticism of the executive and legislative decision making, the latest in music, theatre, television, fine arts and even column and comics to make readers laugh.

Babalola (2002) asserts that newspapers facilitate literacy empowerment; it inevitably promotes critical thinking, retention of information, problem solving and the querying of information source. Furthermore, newspaper readership enables one to become a person who possesses civic-conscious values, tolerance and closeness to the community (Igwe, 2011).

Editorials have an enormous influence on the decision making process and community leaders are aware of it. However, the reverse is the case among Nigerian students. It has been observed that students pay low attention to editorial matters. When a newspaper is been given to student, he or she will first glance at the first page, leaving out editorials and other articles in the inside pages or he may merely scan them through. This should not be so, since editorials are based on tropical subject in which renders (most especially students) are involved in one way or the other.

Therefore, in UNILAG where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Newspaper Readership of Editorial Page.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that Editorial pages rank comparatively poor in any survey of readership of newspapers and progarmmes devoted to editorial. Opinions are close to the bottom in radio and television audience measurement. Also, it is not easy to determine the quantity of those who read the editorial pages and listen to editorial programmes.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Newspaper Readership of Editorial Page among Students of UNILAG. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To ascertain the editorial newspaper pages that students of University of Lagos read,
2. To determine the ways through which students of University of Lagos obtain the editorial newspaper pages they read.
3. To find out the type of stories students of UNILAG read on the editorial newspaper pages
4. To examine the factors militating against reading of editorial newspaper pages among students of University of Lagos.

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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:

• Are there factors militating against reading of editorial newspaper pages among students of University of Lagos?
• What are the editorial newspaper pages that students of University of Lagos read?
• What is the type of stories students of UNILAG read on the editorial newspaper pages?
• What are the ways through which students of University of Lagos obtain the editorial newspaper pages they read?

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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

• H0: There are no significant factors militating against reading of editorial newspaper pages among students of University of Lagos
• H1: There are significant factors militating against reading of editorial newspaper pages among students of University of Lagos

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1.7 Significance of Study

This study will aid students amend their ways towards editorials readership for the better since editorials are usually on very controversial issues and on topics that will provoke one comment or the other from the citizen at large, the future leaders (student) should not be left our uniformed or without opinion since editorials are meant for serious minded people with ambition and zeal.

On the part of the media, this study will enable them diffuse apathy towards editorials from readers and help them monitor the choice of topics and contents of editorials they publish. Youths /students are the leaders of tomorrow and it has been established that editorials have profound influence on leadership and on decision making process as well.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The study focuses on the Newspaper Readership of Editorial Page among Students of UNILAG.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

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. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
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).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Editorial: Opinion of a newspaper on any issue of importance.

Newspaper: Printed medium of communication.

Public Opinion: Views of public on issues of the moment.

Readership: Number of people who read a printed material.

Regular students: Full time Students.

Poly-Air Students: Students that study away from the main campus. A form of distance learning.

Preliminary Students: Students that are preliminary and are yet to be admitted as bonafide students of the polytechnic.

Youth: The time when a person is young, especially the time before the child becomes at adult.