Social Media Scandal Stories and RCCG Rivers Youths’ Perception of Pastors in Rivers State
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain effect of social media scandal stories of pastor on the growth of RCCG in Rivers state
- To find out the perspective of RCCG youths on social media scandal stories on pastors in Rivers state
- To find out what bodies constituted to supervise churches doing to curb these excesses menace
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Concept of social media
When we talk of social media, we mean those Internet-based tools and services that allow users to engage with each other, generate content, distribute, and search for information online. In other words, the social media are interactive web-based media platforms that offer citizens opportunity and place to connect, share opinions, experiences, views, contacts, knowledge, expertise, as well as other things like job and career tips. They belong to a new genre of media that focuses on social networking allowing users to express themselves, interact with friends and share information with greater freedom as well as publish their views on issues on the World Wide Web. Chatora, A (2012) observes that it is this interactive or collaborative nature of these tools that makes them social. Mayfield (2008) describes these media as “online platforms that promote participation, openness, conversation and connectedness”. Nation (2010)sees them as “social instruments of communication which are different from the conventional instruments like newspapers or magazines. They are online content, created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies to disseminate information across geographical boundaries, providing interaction among people (Adibe, Odoemelam and Orji 2012). They support democratisation of knowledge and information, thereby making the people both information producers and consumers. Social media emerged with the advent of the internet and the World Wide Web. They are usually associated with the term “web 2.0” which is used to describe websites that provide opportunity for a user to interact with the sender of a message. Nwabueze (2012) observes that “Web 2.0” refers to the state of the web from 2004 till date; a period when interactive websites emerged as opposed to “web1.0” which describes the state of the web prior to 2004. Web-based communities, social networking sites video-sharing sites, Wikis, and blogs, are among examples of web 2.0 sites (Allen, Ekwugha & Chukwulete 2011).
Defining a media scandal
One explanation for the lack of quantitative research on scandal is that the concept itself not been adequately conceptualized. To date, most scholars have defined it as the public disclosure of an ethical or moral transgression e.g., “the publicization of a transgression of a social norm. Some scholars define political scandal more specifically as a violation of the norms governing elected officeholders e.g., “activity that seeks to increase political power at the expense of process and procedure.” However, these evidence-based definitions are not only difficult to measure or quantify but fail to accurately classify the outcomes we observe in contemporary politics. In particular, the normative standards that are typically used to define scandal change over time and are applied inconsistently some well-documented transgressions fail to generate much controversy in the media, while other allegations are covered as scandals despite little evidence that norms were violated. In such cases, the political and news context, rather than evidence, often appears to the decisive factor. Others are skeptical about whether scandals necessarily entail norm violations and focus instead on the response to alleged transgressions. For instance, Thompson writes that “‘[s]candal’ refers to actions or events involving certain kinds of transgressions which become known to others and are sufficiently serious to elicit a public response.” While dispensing with a strictly evidence-based definition is useful, these authors tend to rely heavily on public responses to alleged wrongdoing to define scandal, an approach that conflates the existence of elite controversy with the level of public outrage that ultimately results. In reality, while the most salient scandals generate high levels of public awareness and attention, most are not widely known and generate relatively little public interest (e.g., Whitewater) evidence alone to define scandals, nor do I assume that scandals can be defined solely by public outrage. Instead, I rely on news coverage, which is essential to contemporary scandal Waisbord calls it “the barometer that indicates the existence (or absence) of a scandal”. Given the way that reporters tend to index elite opinion, I argue that media recognition of a controversy they are covering as a scandal is the best contemporaneous indicator of whether a political figure or government official is widely believed by elites to have acted in a manner that contravenes established moral, political, or procedural norms. I define controversies that have been recognized in this way as media scandals. Though these contextual factors will affect whether a media scandal develops, it is important to be clear that factual evidence of wrongdoing, corruption, or misbehavior will also be associated with the occurrence of media scandals. In particular, the evidence supporting an allegation will sometimes be so compelling that a media scandal will ensue regardless of the context.
Chapter Three
Research methodology
Research Design
The research design adopted in this research work is the survey research design which involves the usage of self-designed questionnaire in the collection of data. Under the survey research design, primary data of this study will be collected from RCCG youths in Portharcourt, Rivers state in order to determine social media scandal stories and RCCG Rivers Youths perception of pastors in Rivers state. The design was chosen because it enables the researcher to collect data without manipulation of any variables of interest in the study. The design also provides opportunity for equal chance of participation in the study for respondents.
Population of Study
The population of study is the census of all items or a subject that possess the characteristics or that have the knowledge of the phenomenon that is being studied (Asiaka, 1991). It also means the aggregate people from which the sample is to be drawn.
Population is sometimes referred to as the universe. The population of this research study will be Seventy-five (75) selected RCCG youths in Portharcourt, Rivers state.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter is about the analysis and presentation of data collected from the field through questionnaire. The analysis of the data with particular question immediately followed by the presentation of findings.
As mentioned in chapter three, 75 questionnaires were administered and 50 were retrieved and necessary analysis was carried out on them and presented as follows:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain social media scandal stories and RCCG Rivers youths perception of pastors in Rivers state. 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 social media scandal stories and RCCG Rivers youths perception of pastors in Rivers state
Summary
This study was on social media scandal stories and RCCG Rivers youths perception of pastors in Rivers state. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain effect of social media scandal stories of pastor on the growth of RCCG in Rivers state, to find out the perspective of RCCG youths on social media scandal stories on pastors in Rivers state and to find out what bodies constituted to supervise churches doing to curb these excesses menace. The total population for the study is 75 youths of RCCG in portharcourt, Rivers state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Contrary to the prevailing interpretation of scandals as resulting from evidence of misconduct, I show that the occurrence of media scandals is also significantly influenced by the news context. In particular, when the pastor is popular, scandals are unlikely, but the likelihood of scandal increases as the opposition base becomes more hostile to the administration. The study encourages pastors or no pastor to deviate from any kind of scandal
Recommendation
Should be a disciplinary committee that will sanction those committed this offense to protect the image of the church
References
- http://cscc.scu.edu/theocom17/Checketts_Persona.pdf
- https://guardian.ng/issue/scandal-in-house-of-god-what-church-leadership-must-do
- https://dailypost.ng/2021/07/14/how-pastor-female-choir-member-conspired-to-rape-me-in-port-harcourt-20-year-old-victim/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_sexual_abuse_in_Nigeria
- https://www.thecable.ng/fatoyinbo-religious-sex-scandal-and-the-class-struggle
- Agence France Presse (2000). “World’s worst mass suicides”. March 18, 2000.
- Allen, Ira R. (1982). “July: A crazy month in Washington”. United Press International, July 14, 1982.
- Angrist, Joshua D. and Jörn-Steffen Pischke (2009). Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An empiricist’s companion. Princeton University Press.
