Influence of News Commercialization on the News Credibility in Broadcast Media
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives Of The Study
The general objective of this study is to analyze the influence of news commercialization on the news credibility in broadcast media while the following are the specific objectives:
- To examine the influence of news commercialization on the news credibility in broadcast media.
- To examine the advantages and disadvantages of news commercialization in the broadcast media.
- To identify strategies that will curb unethical practices in broadcast media in the face of news commercialization.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
In this chapter, the researcher undertakes a review of studies concerned with “News Commercialization” it will also have, a review of concepts, review of literature, review of empirical studies, a theoretical framework and lastly chapter summary.
Review of Concepts
News Commercialization
The birth of news commercialization in Nigeria dates back to1986 when the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) was introduced and as time went on, it eventually became additional source of income for broadcast media organizations. As a result, the Nigerian broadcast media have commoditized news by presenting messages paid for as part of the news bulletin.
Onoja (2009) defines news commercialization as a situation whereby stations begin to raise revenue by charging fees for news reports they should normally carry free. McManus (2009 Pp. 219 & 220) defines news commercialization as “any action intended to boost profit that interferes with a journalist‟s or news organization‟s best effort to maximize public understanding of those issues and events that shape the community they claim to serve”.
Broadcast News Commercialization
Omenugha and Oji (2008), declare that news commercialization of the broadcast media operates at two levels in Nigeria: The institutional level and the individual journalist level. At the individual journalist level, journalists make monetary demands to cover an event to be reported in the news such turbaning ceremonies, inaugural lectures and even birthdays from prominent Nigerians. They term this form of gratification as brown envelop syndrome which operates at different levels. They went further to say that the commercialization of news broadcast contravenes the provision of the NBC code in sections 5.1. 18 &19 which clearly distinguishes between advertising in news and commercialization of news broadcast: “commercials in News and Current Affairs programmes shall be clearly identified and presented in a manner that shall make them clearly distinguishable” while “the promotion of an organization, product or a service of commercial interest shall not be treated as news analysis, commentary or editorial” (NBC, 2010p. 44).
At the institutional level however, news commercialization occurs when an institution is given specific charges for various events to be covered. In a nut shell, commercial messages during news broadcast should not be treated as part of news bulletin but limited to advertising messages interposed during breaks in a news broadcast.
It is usually difficult for editors to edit news that are paid for, based on professional ethics for fear of losing a big time client, as it is said, he who plays the piper dictates the tune. In the long run, the editor is forced to edit the news item on the basis of what might interest the sponsor, rather than the public.
McManus (2009, p.220) states that the economic rationalization of the news „predicts a temporary decline of journalism‟s expensive but vital watchdog function”.
Audience View and Ethical Implications of news commercialization
With the growing concern for news commercialization, which many believe negates all fundamental principle of fairness, equity and balance required in journalism practice, many scholars have explored its ethical implications.
These are outlined here.
- Commercialization of news violates the ethics and code of conduct of journalists, which states: it is the duty of the journalist to refuse any reward for publishing or suppressing news or comment.
- News commercialization has affected information flow tremendously.As the majority of news is paid for, therefore, the news that sees the light of the day has to be induced by somebody or an organization, while those news that are genuine and authoritative are dropped because there is no inducement where such news emanates from. The greatest flaw in the practice of news commercialization as Ekwo (1996) surmises is that “news is narrowly defined against the weight of the news source’s purse” (p. 69).
- News commercialization makes the news susceptible to abuse by interest groups who can pay their way into the media to project an idea they want people to accept whether it is positive or not.
- News commercialization can lead to news distortion. The person who pays the piper often dictates the tune. Since the media would not like to lose a major customer, they will do all within their reach to satisfy such client that pays them enough money to have to his/her view projected.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter will discuss the method used in this research work. It is done following proper techniques and procedures as outline thus: Research design population of the study, sample size, sampling technique procedure, method of data collection and it will end with method of data analysis.
Research Design
The study adopts the survey method which gives room for people to give their opinions on a given issue. The instrument used was the questionnaire which contained demographic data of respondents and the Likert Scale format was used to seek respondents‟ views. The researcher used the purposive sampling technique to select the samples from the 11 wards in Minna metropolis.
Population of Study
Minna metropolis had an estimated population of 500,797 according to (National Bureau of Statistics) 2007. However, this study includes civil servants and people in private business who have obtained HND/First Degree and above.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION / DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Based on the fact that the research work adopted Survey method, simple percentage statistics was used to analyze data generated as well as to answer the research questions.
To provide answer to the research question, item 9 of the second section of the instrument provided the required data. “Government officials and wealthy individuals can pay journalists and broadcast organizations to write favourable news about policies and programmes that they want the public to accept.”
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
The focus of this study was to know the views of residents of Minna metropolis Niger State about how news commercialization influences credibility of broadcast news content. The audience have shown through the study that news commercialization can crumble credibility of news since the major voices of the people that make news are those who have the means to pay for them. Against this backdrop, the audience 162 (49.7%) respondents strongly agree that journalists and broadcast organizations pay more attention to those who pay for news.
It is obvious that the practice of news commercialization has come to stay in Nigeria especially at this time of economic recession. But this practice reduces the credibility of media practitioners in the eyes of the public as indicated in table 5 where 39.9% respondents strongly agree that since only the views of the rich and powerful are carried. Since he who pays the piper dictates the tune, those who pay for news determine what constitutes news at a given time and their views are always aired.
This is dangerous for the broadcast media and journalists since they are responsible to the general public and not only a few. Christopher and Onwuka (2013, p.15) attest to this:
Responsible and ethical journalism will preserve achievements attributable to the press and improve the integrity of the profession. They must see their responsibility as that towards the public rather than the few that seek self aggrandizement through the inherent influence of the mass media.
The general views indicate that journalists and broadcast organizations promote news commercialization which has gone beyond the level of journalists working for the common man on the streets to meeting the demands of the few rich and powerful in the society by projecting their views to the public. To support this view, Atoyebi (2011) asserts that journalists are feared today for the harm they can do but not respected for the roles they play in the society.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In view of the findings above, the following recommendations are put forward:
- There is need for journalists to be adequately remunerated to avert over dependence on collecting gratification after covering events. According to Adaja (2011:201), for Journalists to perform their “constitutional roles and self-imposed obligations; members of the profession (Journalists) must be adequately remunerated. An average journalist must „appear-well‟ and „feed-well‟ to „work-well‟.
- News should not be based on the amount of money one has to pay rather, it should be based on the newsworthiness of the event. After all, it is the responsibility of the journalist to watch over the society and report back to the society.
- Journalists should undergo regular training and re-training to rebuild the trust they entail from the audience
- The broadcast media can through news bulletin, commentaries, current affairs etc, bring news to the door step of the common man on the streets to regain their confidence and trust once again.
- There is need for NBC to check on journalism practice from time to time to ensure that they keep to the ethics of the profession.
- Lastly, broadcast organizations and journalists can do a public opinion poll regularly to know the current views of the audience about the practice of journalism as well as their areas of interest for proper guidance.
References
- Adaba, T. (2001). “Selling News On Air” in Lanre Idowu (ed) Watching The Watchdogs. Media Review Lagos: Diamond Publications Limited pp 110 -115
- Adaja, T.A. (2011). The Nigerian Media and the Quest for Probity and Accountability in Governance. AAU: African Studies Review, vol. 10, 183 – 204.
- Adaja, T.A. (2012). Nigerian Journalism and Professionalism: Issues And Challenges. New Media and Mass Communication. (Vol 5, 2012). Retrieved from http://www.iiste.org/ Journals/ index. php/NMMC/article/ viewFile/ 2793/2817
- Asemah, E.S. (2011). Principles and Practice of Mass Communication. Jos: Great Future Press.
- Asogwa, C. E. & Asemah, E. S. (2012). News Commercialization, Objective Journalism Practice and the Sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria. (Vol. 3, No. 2). Higher Education of Social Sciences. Retrieved from http: //www.cscanada.net/ index.php/hess/article/view/ j.hess.1927024020120302.1817
