The Role of Broadcast Journalism in Nigeria
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the broadcast media and the integration of the Nigerian Nation. Specifically, therefore, the study seeks to:
- Examine the specific areas and extent of broadcast media contributions to national integration in Nigeria. ii. Find out the specific strategies that the broadcast media adopt in contributing to the integration of Nigeria.
- Investigate how the contributions of broadcast media have enhanced audience knowledge of national integration and translated to greater peace, unity, and development in Nigeria.
- Assess how the broadcast media are monitored and regulated by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for greater quality broadcasting and enhanced integration of Nigeria.
- Explore the challenges the broadcast media face in their contributions to national integration in Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Review of Related Literature
Constitutional and Moral Basis of the Role of Broadcast Media in the Society
Section 22 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Chapter II on Fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy provides the obligation of the mass media, particularly the broadcast media thus; the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999). Dukor (1999, p. 283) anchors the assessment of the role of the media in politics on the “fundamental right to receive and impart information”. This becomes not only the standard for assessing the role of the media, but also “the neglected role of… states to uphold the ethics of the right to know… in an ideal democracy”. This quest to propagate the inalienable right to know and impart information was influenced by the
Natural law doctrines, the articles of the French revolution, the precepts of the American declaration of Independence, The United Nations Declaration of Peoples’ and Human Rights, African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Dukor, 1999, p. 283).
For instance, the “African Charter on Human and People’s Rights” adopted in 1986 and ratified in July 1990 states among others that “every individual shall have the right to receive information… shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinions within the laws.
It has become very pertinent to examine the extent to which these precepts of the fundamental rights of man have been observed in the context of Nigeria’s politics and media practice, especially in the area of democratic elections. It must be emphasized that any talk of democracy without the right to receive and impart information is empty. Nigeria has a background of liberalism which dictates the free flow of information, yet the country’s media according to Dukor (1999, p. 283) have been for the most part, performing, within the air of regulated freedom. Since independence, there have been several factors encumbering the right to know about government policies. This has been the case mostly during the military interregnum. For instance, a good number of decrees were put in place to hinder press freedom and jeopardize the public right to know and receive information. Dare (1985) gives a rundown of such decrees including; Newspaperthe (Amendment Act) 1964, the Official Secrets Act 1962, the Defamation Act 1961, the Public Officers (protection against false Accusation) Act No. 11 1976, the newspaper prohibition circulation act 1967 and public officers (protection against false publication) Decree No. 4 1984). On the other hand, Dukor (1999, p. 287) opines that:
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The method of the study involved quantitative and qualitative data gathering designs. The method was used because of its flexibility in allowing the combination of different research methods (e. g. Quantitative and qualitative) in a single study such as this “for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration” (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie & Turner, 2007). Its central premise is that the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in combination provides a better understanding of research problems than either approach alone (Creswell & Plano Clark 2007, cited in Cameron, 2015). Creswell (2013) underscores that mixed methods are popular in the social, behavioral and health sciences, in which researchers collect, analyze, and integrate both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or in a sustained long term program of inquiry to address their research problem. According to Johnson, Onwuegbuzie and Turner (2007, p. 123):
Mixed methods research is the type of research in which a researcher or team of researchers combines elements of qualitative and quantitative research approaches (e.g., use of qualitative and quantitative viewpoints, data collection, analysis, inference techniques) for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration.
The rest of the chapter will elaborate on the: research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sample selection techniques and procedure, research instruments and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study.
Population of the Study
The population of this study comprised the broadcast media audience from the states of Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Enugu, Cross River, Lagos and FCT Abuja; broadcasters from Harvest FM Makurdi; Taraba State Broadcasting Service (TSBS) Jalingo; NTA,
Kaduna; Caritas University FM Enugu; Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC), Ikom; Channels TV Lagos; and Kapital FM (FRCN), Abuja; and the NBC staff. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Federal Republic of Nigeria (2017, pp. 474 & 478),
Official Records of the broadcast media houses sampled, and the NBC Online Official Page (2017), the audience of the broadcast media in the above states, broadcast media houses and the NBC Staff were as follows:
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter concerns with the analysis of the data collected from the respondents through the questionnaire and interview during field survey research work. The purpose of doing so (data analysis) is to ensure that the collected data are analyzed, processed and summarized in a way that will substantially provide meaning and answers to the research questions earlier raised in this study. Consequently, data presentation, answering research questions, test of hypothesis, and discussion of findings formed the major sub-themes of this chapter.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter concerns with the summary, conclusion and recommendations of the work. The chapter specifically discusses the summary of the study, conclusion of the study, recommendations of the study, contribution to knowledge and suggestions for further study.
Summary
Nigeria is a country with multi ethnic, political, religious and cultural compositions. With this level of diversity, the appetite for national integration has been with the country’s past leaders and administrators since the amalgamation of Southern and Northern protectorates or regions in 1914, through independence in 1960 and the post independence era. One of the philosophies that informed the establishment of the broadcast media was to help foster national cohesion among Nigerians and subsequently national integration, irrespective of the country’s socio-cultural, political and religious diversities.
Despite the efforts made by both previous and present administrations including the use of broadcast media to foster national integration, the nation continues to experience socio-political and ethno-religious conflicts which are detrimental to peaceful coexistence of the nation. In addition, there are a lot of ethnic/regional movements and agitations for sovereignty by different groups in different parts of the country in addition to increase in the proportion of hate speeches spread among Nigerians. National discussions are divided along ethno-religious and cultural lines to suite sectional or individual interest rather than the general interest of the public.
In realization of the crucial role the broadcast media are expected to play in national integration, the question of how they (broadcast media) are instrumental in contributing to national integration in Nigeria remains so apt at this moment the country is undergoing a lot of challenges of peace, unity and nation building. This informed an investigation into the study in order to appraise the actual contributions of the broadcast media to the integration of Nigeria and to determine how such contributions enhanced the Nigerian audience knowledge of national integration. The specific objectives of the study were to:
- Examine the specific areas and extent of broadcast media contributions to national integration in Nigeria. ii. Find out the specific strategies adopted by the broadcast media in contributing to national integration in Nigeria.
- Investigate how the contributions of broadcast media have enhanced audience knowledge of national integration and translate to greater peace, unity and development of Nigeria.
- Assess how the broadcast media are being monitored by the NBC for greater professionalism in broadcasting for national integration in Nigeria.
- Explore the challenges the broadcast media face in their contributions to national integration in Nigeria.
Conclusion
Through the functions they performed, the broadcast media are instrumental in the integration of Nigeria and they contribute in different ways to ensure that the country remains as one indivisible and united nation. This they do through the use of different strategies which lack of in-depth and investigative reporting and predominant use of English Language have limited the desired impact of such strategies on the national integration functions of the broadcast media in the country.
Similarly, although the broadcast media have made great contributions to the integration of Nigeria, such contributions have not been completely enough or adequate to take the country to the desired integration that will ensure significant peace, unity and development of the nation. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) plays very crucial roles in monitoring and regulating the broadcast media for professionalism in broadcasting for national integration in Nigeria but the Commission’s contributions so far in doing so has not been completely enough to compel the Nigerian broadcast media in attaining the level of professionalism desired in broadcasting for the integration of the country. Furthermore, the challenges the broadcast media faced have prevented them from achieving the desired success in broadcasting for national integration in Nigeria.
From the above observations, it is apt to finally conclude that the broadcast media are very instrumental in the integration of the nation but inappropriate utilization can prevent the broadcast media from leading the nation to the destination of complete and desired national rebirth and integration.
Recommendations
Based on the summary and conclusion of this work, the following are
recommendations of the study:
- While the broadcast media continue to make use of news, discussion, interview, magazine, drama, commentary, documentary, jingles, features etc in packaging and disseminating messages of national integration to the Nigerian public, significant attention should be given to the use of in depth and investigative reporting so that issues of national integration controversial to Nigerian citizens are given more interpretation and analysis rather than reporting such issues largely through straight news format which treat issues largely on the surface.
- The broadcast media in their performance should maintain high level of professionalism by always being objective, fair and balanced in reporting national integration issues. Nigeria is a delicate country that requires very transparent media. The broadcast media must desist from all forms of unwholesome professional conducts, ranging from political, cultural, religious, regional, ethnic and tribal sentiments which are counterproductive and detrimental to the health of national integration. The broadcast media exist to serve the interest of all and not the selected groups in the country. Therefore, the broadcast media should seek to provide equal coverage to every national issue and avoid bias so that both parties in the issue see it in a holistic perspective and not as favouring the other group more.
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