Impact of Television Broadcasting on Electioneering Campaigns a Study of 2015 Presidential Campaigns on NTA Network Abeokuta
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
- To ascertain the level of equal media coverage given to political parties to candidates.
- To ascertain the significant relationship between mass media & electioneering campaign.
- To ascertain the significant level of mobilization of mass media toward selections.
- To determine the significant level of agenda setting programme of mass media town elections.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with a highly review of various relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical studies propounded by scholars‟ and researchers in the field of mass communication. The reviews of these studies will definitely help in the final & fining of recommendations for further improvement andstudies.
Conceptual Studies
Election
Election is the process of reaching a consensus on the representation of the citizen of a particular state in public offices. Several erudite scholars of political science has written and defined extensively the concept of election. Some of these definitions are consideredbelow:
The international encyclopedia of social science, volume (6) (2010) election as one procedural of aggregating preferences of a particular kind. Two key words are involved; procedure and preference. Procedures refers to state one; a prescribed specific way of doing things while preference means devote choice among alternatives. Ujo (200) election as “a procedure that allows member of an organization or community to choose representative who will hold position of authority within it. The subject of election is essentially one that assist a group of queried individuals to reach a consensus on one representative amongalternative.
MASS MEDIA AND ELECTORAL PROCESS
The exploits of our founding fathers with the mass media underline the enormous powers of the mass media. This however, was not achieved with half backed journalist or media practitioners. It was not with press men/women who have no integrity that are not patriotic, not those who went into the media practice for the purpose of money making but for enlighting, informing, and entertaining the people (Izejiobi, 2010). He, Izejiobi, (2010) opined that if the mass media in those days could achieve ourindependence without any bloodshed, despite the odds, then it can also advance a free, fair and credible election for Nigeria and Nigerians. Although the media is not the independent National electoral commission (INEC) or the electorate, but media has the ability to increase the trust of the people in the whole process. It has the ability to bring to the native of the people, those things they need to know like voting & making their votes count. Confidence of the mass media is very important. The only way the public can monitor the activities of their elected representative is through the fair and accurate reporting of events by the media. If the public has the hope that the media is capable of reporting government activities well, interest and participation in the political system begins to nose drive and when this happen, it become almost impossible to have a free, fair and credible election. It is therefore, expected that the mass media should be involved in three important areas of the electoral processnamely;
Pre-election awareness which include voters‟ registration, election campaign. People tovote.
The national election monitor &coverage
The post-election information whereas and management.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter will focus on the appropriate research method that will be adopted. It will be on design, population of the study, sampling method procedures among others.
Research Design
The method that will be used in survey method which gives room for questionnaire & Interview will be on sampling technique which allows all members of the population and equal chance of being included in thestudy.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANDANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter is focused on the presentation and the analysis of data collected from questionnaire responded to by respondents. The data‟s were analyzed with arithmetictable and simple percentage using statistical package for social sciences(SPPS)
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS ANDCONCLUSION
SUMMARY
This project has extensively evaluated the Impact of Television Broadcasting on Electioneering Campaign, a case study of 2011 elections in Nigeria. A research survey using descriptive analysis and chi-square was carried out on 225 respondents. This project gave the over-all background to the study. It stated the statement of the problem of the study, the objective, and the research questions. It also featured the significant of the study, scope and limitation of the study and operational definition of term to aid the understanding of the readers of the project. The roles of the mass media in setting agenda for public discussion in terms of agenda setting theory were also reviewed. The research methodology includes research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sampling procedure, method of data collection, validity and reliability of data instrument and method of data analysis. The researcher adopted survey method which gives room for questionnaires and interview while the sampling technique was simple random sampling techniques which will allow all members of the population of the study an equal being included in the study, presentation and the analysis of data collected from questionnaire responded to by respondents. They were analyzed with arithmetic table and simple percentage using statistical Package for social sciences (SPSS). Total numbers of questionnaire released was 225. A total number of 206 administered questionnaire were retrieved from the field while 19missed.
Conclusion
It is not out of place to conclude based on the findings that the mass media especially the print media have been fair in giving equal media coverage to political parties to candidate. In the cause of upholding their responsibilities as responsible media, the mass media in Nigeria have tried as much as possible to give equal chance to political parties most especially during elections. The private mass media both broadcast and print is better than the public owned media. The significant to the study is the relationship between mass media and media ownership in relation to its effects, the responsibilities duringelections.
The mass media mobilize the electorates towards 2011 election in Nigeria at large. Hence, the mass media has been effective in mobilizing the electorates towards elections as seen in various programmes before, during and after the elections in Nigeria. Various political programmes in media towards elections in Nigeria are evidence to the fact that they are playing their agenda-setting roles in Nigeria towards successful, free and fair election in Nigeria. No doubt the degree of the political issues been brought forward for public discussion will determine the level if exposing electoral misconduct as rigging, results manipulation, thuggery ballot box snatching among others. This is evidence in the 2011 elections as the mass media were on top of the situation that almost destroyed the electionresult.
Obviously, there is signification relationship between the mass media coverage and a free and fair election in Nigeria at large. The findings from this research work and other empirical studies confirmed that, the media coverage can also determine if an election will be free andfair.
Recommendations
As a result of the findings from this research work, the following recommendations have been suggested:
- Since it has been discovered that there is a direct relationship between media coverage and elections result, the mass media should endeavor to give equal media coverage to political parties and their candidates. In other word, the mass media should allow political parties and their candidates a level playing for their campaign.
- The significant relationship between mass media coverage and election results has made imperative media ownership both public and privates should do more to free the media practitioners to carry out their sacred responsibilities towards elections without anyinterference.
- It is not a gain saying to establish that the mass media have been four in mobilizing the mass media have been fair in mobilizing the electorates during elections. However, the mass media should improve on the mobilization of electorates during elections as reliable and valid results of elections large depend on this process.
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