The Impact of Reportorial Techniques on the Reading Audience of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To determine the impact of reportorial techniques on the reading audience
- To identify the basic users of reportorial techniques in different types of reporting.
- To indicate how reportorial techniques will enhance the quality and understanding of reports.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
REPORTING PRACTICES
The three traditional methods for gathering information for a news story are through interviews, observation and document searches. Interviewing means finding out what is happening? Find people who know and talk to them. The best sources are folks who were or are directly involved in the incident or subject that you’re covering. If you are unsure of your ability to take accurate notes, record the interview. Start by getting the source’s name, and its spelling, as well as his or her official title, if it is relevant to the story. Ask questions that cannot be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ Instead, ask people to describe the incident or situation. Listen as they respond and imagine what additional information a reader would want. Then ask follow-up questions to get that information. Don’t get intimidated and feel afraid that you are asking “dumb” questions. If your source says something you do not understand, ask them to explain it in simpler terms. If something a source says does not make sense to you, say why and ask for an explanation. If you don’t understand something, your readers likely will not as well. Always be polite and respectful when interviewing someone, but respect your readers as well. Don’t allow a source to intimidate you into not asking tough, appropriate questions. Observation involves getting relevant information first hand. Your five senses can provide the details. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Feel? Drop those details into your story to provide your reader a better perspective about what you are reporting. Looking through documents is another way of finding relevant information. Reporters can find thousands of stories in public documents. Government databases on crime, school test scores, population statistics, accident reports, environmental safety and more can keep a motivated writer busy for years. Documents also provide a great way to fact-check statements made by an interview subject. Journalists often use computer-assisted reporting to find trends in large datasets, including budgets and crime reports. No matter which method you use – and you should try to use them all on each story – you want to find information that illustrates and explains the issue or incident you are reporting. The trick is to use as many methods of collecting information. First observe. The next step is to interview. Then, if necessary, go back and do more interviews. Look for documents to find more information. Check, check and double-check all your facts. Try not to make mistakes when transcribing an interview, copying data from official records or describing something you’ve seen. Everyone makes a mistake at some point, but that does not excuse carelessness
REPORTERS’ CODE OF ETHICS
The duty of a reporter is to seek the truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious reporters from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the basis of a reporter’s credibility. Reporters should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.
In addition, reporters should:
- Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
- Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
- Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability.
- Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises.
- o Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
- Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
- Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.
- Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story.
- Never plagiarize.
- Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
- Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others. o Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to the impact of reportorial techniques on reading audience of Akwa Ibom broadcasting corporation
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on the impact of reportorial techniques on reading audience of Akwa Ibom broadcasting corporation. 200 staff of AKBC, Uyo was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
Sample and sampling procedure
Sample is the set people or items which constitute part of a given population sampling. Due to large size of the target population, the researcher used the Taro Yamani formula to arrive at the sample population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the impact of reportorial techniques on reading audience of Akwa Ibom broadcasting corporation.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of reportorial techniques on reading audience of Akwa Ibom broadcasting corporation
Summary
This study was on the impact of reportorial techniques on reading audience of Akwa Ibom broadcasting corporation. Three objectives were raised which included; To determine the impact of reportorial techniques on the reading audience, to identify the basic users of reportorial techniques in different types of reporting, to indicate how reportorial techniques will enhance the quality and understanding of reports. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of AKBC, Uyo. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made reporters, correspondents, editors and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Based on the above findings one can conclude that reporters recognize the prospects that abound in News gathering and reporting in digital age. They agree that digital equipment have high effect on News gathering process. While acknowledging the process of News gathering and reporting in digital age, a number of challenges abound. These challenges range from inadequate digital equipment, lack of training. Lack of information technology experts, who play important role in the maintenance of digital facilities, may have adverse effect on news gathering and reporting in digital era.
Recommendation
Media organisations need to upgrade and provide digital equipment for the staff as well employ new technologies in their operations as this will facilitate the attainment of the objectives of information gathering, processing and dissemination in tandem with the digitization drive. The research also recommends that more investments should be made by relevant stakeholders in the provision of required facilities that as aptly capture by Tiamiyu (2003) cited in Salawu (2007) any organisation that invests in communication and information activities and technologies are likely going to create the enabling environment and is a prerequisite for boosting productivity. Training mechanism both within and outside the organisation should be put in place; this will help enhance the reporters ‘utilization of digital facilities
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