THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND ON THE ON EDITORIAL POLICY OF ANNOUNCER NEWSPAPER

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Mass media such as radio, television and newspapers are those channels 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 editorial policy practices by journalist demanding or receiving editorial policy 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 organization whose aim is to propagate the truth, no matter the circumstance without any editorial policy acceptance and so the journalist have to be very careful of what he is publishing, libelous and sediteous 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 Giwa, 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 editorial policy 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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1.2 Statement of the Problems

Based on the research made, sponsorship of the media house, its control and recruitment of its capital staff house formed the influential factors consequences upon the editorial policy of the media house since the owners of the media house usually does or do the afore stated factors. The media ownership have the editorial policy and this influenced the editorial policy and this has posed problem to journalism as a trade.

In this case, the editotrial writing has to function with the policy framework and editorial principles. Nothing runs the editor down as having the option to either doing it the way the policy dictates or he resigns or otherwise sacked.

Influence of media ownership on editorial policy have made many newspapers to collapse in operations and have also made them to lose their readership grip. in the case of a announcer newspapers, as a privately owned newspaper, if it does not have so many policies that usually affect its readership except that its front and back page stories are centered in imo state often times, it faces the stiff competition of the national and other local newspapers.

Again people from other state would always the purchase of the newspaper as a waste since it does not usually spread its tentacles.

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1.3 Objectives of Study

The study is carried out to highlighting ways by which media ownership influences editorial policy of newspaper. And as such editorial of newspaper. And as such the study has the following objectives.

1. To find out if media ownership influence the editorial policy of a newspaper.
2. To assess how this influencing affect the objective of a newspaper.
3. To examine the consequences on journalistic practices.
4. To find out if any measure have been taken to check media ownership interference on editorial policy.

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1.4 Research Questions

• Does media ownership influence the editorial policy of newspaper?
• What are the consequences of media ownership interference on editorial policy on journalistic practice?
• Does media ownership affect the objectivity of the newspaper?
• What measures are being put in place to check media ownership inference on editorial policy?

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1.5 Significance of the Study

This study will in no doubt be of most valuable to all and sundry, big or small, young and old and to every media appreciator cum express. Also, its pertinent to note that its invaluability is hinged in the face that everyone in the society loves the independency of the media. Whether control by the government or privately owned, to this end, the researcher carefully raised some answers to the entire challenges facing the media from the part of ownership.

Be that at it may be, this study will help to put an end to media ownership influence on editorial or journalistic practice and to further arrest and restore every lost or declining confidence and articles of the public on media houses. The researcher work will also help the Nigerian government in policy making as it influences journalist salary scale. Finally, the work will equally help to guarantee the freedom of the press and the right of people to know about events taking place inside and outside any infringement of an individual liberty or form any quarter.

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1.6 Scope of Study

In as much as this research work looks into ownership influences on editorial policies of a media house establishment in effective dissemination of news information. The area of coverage cannot embrace the entire media in the country. Therefore, the researcher shall concentrate on the Announcer newspaper situated in Owerri the Imo state capital.

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1.7 Limitation of the Study

This study, media ownership and the influence on editorial policy should have encompassed all the media in Nigeria, but due to poor finance and logistics, it was limited to announcer newspaper which is government owned media organization.

Another factors that acted as a constraint to this study again is time. This made it impossible for a further research work beyond one case study used (announcer poor access to text books, study reports and internet also militate against the success of this project work.

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1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

In this area, certain key words will be explained given their operational definition.

Media Ownership:

It is the pattern or system of media establishment in a particular society which could be either government or private owned media.

Editorial Policy:

This is defined as the path a newspaper elects to follow as it answers the two basics questions

• What shall we publish?
• How shall we publish?

Journalism:

This could be defined as the practice of collecting, gathering, writing, organizing and dissemination of information principally through the mass media of newspaper, magazine, radio and television to inform, educate entertain heterogeneous and scattered audiences.

Newspaper:

This is according to (Victor Alozie, 2011) defines newspaper as an unbounded printed publication