AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF NTA 9 O’CLOCK NEWS PROGRAMME. A CASE STUDY OF ORHIONMWON LGA, OF EDO STATE.

CHAPER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

Every mass communication is directed in a specific audience. The audience is the reason for mass communication message, hence mass media messages are packaged and transmitted to make meaning to the audience and influence their attitude.

Suffice if then to state that as every media messages are directed to an audience. it is also expected that such media messages impact on the attitude of such audience members.

it is perhaps on accounts of this that Baran (2002, p.6) defined:

mass communication as the process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audience.

The message content of the media must make sense in the audience. This also justifies the use of different media for different audience, deriving from the intended outcome.

Programme produce therefore reckons the characteristics of the audience before packaging such programmes. This is supposedly so, since mass communication channels have different styles of presenting their messages to their different audience. Such mass media are aptly defined by Okunna (2000. p 284) stated that:

Information transmitter of information that reaches the members of the audience simultaneously.

Television, radio, newspaper, magazine, journals therefore qualifies as mass media, since they possess the active characteristics.

Okunna (2000, p. 234) however noted that:

The audience of the mass media to a great extent controls what the media writer writes and how he writes it. Their characteristics are borne in mind when writing. The point to note is that the media have demographic as well as psychographic characteristics which guide our writing.

This therefore, account for the use of simple English in the transmission mostly NTA programme especially NTA news at 9. This again is supposedly so, since it is the governments focus to own such medium to inform the Nigerian public on the goings on as well as inform and sensitize them of government policies and programmes.

One therefore should not expect anything less in terms of language use since English language is arguably our national language, student from primary school are exposed to the language by their teachers. It is therefore expected that even secondary school drop-out understand the language.

It is therefore, interesting to note that most of the issue raised in the 9 o’clock news are usually analyzed in subsequent news programmes which integrates, interprets colour and add meanings to such news items. Therefore, it’s then to state that relevant issues are addressed in the 9 o’clock NTA news.

First as a national programme, it carries relevant information on what obtains in all the geographical zones of Nigeria. Little wonder then, that most local station in various states connect to the network programme, once it is 9 o’clock, this is to ensure that nobody is left out of the nation package. more so, reporters from such stations are offered the opportunity to report events, happenings in their areas in the network programme. It is therefore for the purpose of reaching its target audience, that the news programme is transmitted at 9 o’clock, it is expected that majority of Nigerians would be in the comfort of their homes to listen to the news programmes.

Little wonder the programme arguably fulfill its agenda setting function. Arguable are usually seen coverage to opinionate on the news. Even though such feedbacks seldomly gets to the news source expect on occasional basis, but has however informed and sensitized the Nigeria public on events around them. This therefore account for some other news analytical programme that offers the audience the opportunity to phone-in and make contribution. This therefore enables new producers to feel the public of the nation on government programmes and activities.

Be that as it may, it also had gained to people’s criticism as the government mouthpiece, most Nigerians arguably see NTA news programme as a propagated machinery of the government to brainwash its citizens. As such to be cynical and apathetic government to programmes in the NTA news.

as interesting as this is, most Nigerian have arguably continue to depend on the news programme for daily news stories. Most of such Nigerian have continue to see the new programme as credible factual and objective.

it is therefore an account of all these conjectural learning that the researcher want to scientifically measure the perception of the audience as it affects the NTA 9 o’clock news programme.

1.2. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

NTA 9 o’clock news is a programme of the national network station which supposedly informs, educates, sensitize and mobilize Nigerians to support Federal government programme.

NTA as a national station has a very wide coverage aboard sparing all geographical sphere of the Nigeria nation.

As a nation network programme, all NTA station in the various states of the Nigeria Federation are mandated to connect to the mother station in Abuja for the transmission  to be programmed to the audience.

Better still, the use of Ibos, Yoruba and Hausa, as newscasters create non for quality balance and unity.

The programme, therefore, is national in packaging and transmission in general against tribe consciousness over nationalistic spirit.

It is also for the same purpose that reports are entertained from all the geographical segment of the Nigeria society. All these efforts are to integrate Nigerian in to one united nation. Since Nigerian is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation.

Ipso facto, the news content of the NTA news programme are drawn from all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria such news in terms span through health epidemic, appointments, disengagement for sources, educational, political, economic, social culture activities in regions etc. but still for the interest of globalization, the programme makes incursion into bilateral relationship of Nigeria with other state and non-state actors in global sphere such include the signing of treaties, constructs among others. As cosoliting as the above bond of critics have continued to appoint that NTA is a propaganda machinery of the government. This criticism obviously desired from the fact that NTA is government owned, hence servicing government interest. This is arguably evidence in the consistent promotion of government activities without offering opposing perspective.

Be that as it may, one thing is clear, NTA 9 o’clock news package which provides relevant information to event in all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

1.3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Observation has shown that despite NTA effort at effectively informing, sensitizing and educating the Nigerian public through its 9 o’clock news programme, most Nigerian arguably do not believe the message content of the news programmme, while some see such news content as objective, others sees it as subjective. This has resulted in divergent opinionated conjectures for and against the news programme. This study is scholarly design in measuring the public perception of the NTA 9 o’clock news programme.

1.4. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The primary aim of this study is to:

1. Measure the regularity at which the Nigerian viewers expose themselves to NTA 9 o’clock news programme.
2. Finding out if the NTA 9 o’clock news programme cut across the geo-political zones of Nigeria.
3. Finding out if the news programmes do motivate the viewers.
4. To measure the aggregate of the public on the objectivity or otherwise of the NTA 9 o’clock news programme.

5.1 RESEARCH QUESTION

The following research question should guide the researcher in his research endeavour.

1. How regular do the Nigeria public expose themselves to the NTA 9 o’clock news and what extent?
2. Is the NTA 9 o’clock news programme beneficial in content and relaxation?
3. To what extent do the Nigeria publics understand the language of the news programme for the purpose of research and mobilization?
4. To what extent do Nigeria audiences perceive the NTA 9 o’clock news prograamme as objective or otherwise?

1.6. SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

This study is obvious in the following ways:

1. It would help the organizers to take the NTA news programme seriously.
2. It would help the NTA news producers to appreciate the degree of impact of the news programme on the audience, hence make amend where necessary.
3. It would bring to the core the degree of objectivity of the news programme.
4. It would expose the degree to which the audience could recall the ideal message content of the news programme derived from the language used and style of presentation.

1.7. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is delimited to the youths on Orhionmwon local government area of Edo State. The researcher choice of youth derives from the fact that they are essentially the catalyst for national development and leaders of tomorrow.

In view of this, therefore impact of NTA 9 o’clock news programme on their would be an determine the direction of the developmental efforts.

1.8. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The validity of this study was threatened by the following:

1. Bias response on the part of the selected sample. Such made the research to analysis wrong responses to raised questions.
2. Return of the distributed questionnaire could also pose a threat to the validity of this study.

1.9. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

1. Audience: The group of people who are the target groups for the NTA 9 0’clock news programme.
2. Perception: The cognition, feelings, assessment and opinion of the target audience on the NTA 9 o’clock news.
3. News programme: The NTA 9 o’clock news as packaged and relayed to the audience.

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