ABSTRACT
Over the years, successive governments in the
underdeveloped countries have regrettably adopted a lackadaisical, impractical,
apathetic and lip service attitude towards the transformation of their rural
communities whose inhabitants constitute in some places more than 70% of their
respective populations.
In Nigeria for instance, the situation has reached an
alarming stage, more so when one considers the outright abandonment of the
rural populations to their fate, as manifested in the various indices of under
development that prevail across the length and breath of the country, despite
the vast human and natural resources it is endowed with.
Granted that some administrations in the past, had one
time or another annunciated policies and programme seemingly aimed at rural
development but has any of such projects ever been successfully executed in any
of such rural communities? The fact remains obvious that such projects only
serve as a conduit pipe to siphon funds into private pockets.
Zeroing in on the situation in Imo state which
incidentally is the subject of this study, the situation there is quite akin to
what obtains elsewhere in the country, as most developmental projects are
concentrated in the city, to the exclusion of the rural areas.
It is against the backdrop of the obvious disregard of the
rural communities in the scheme of development projects in Imo state that this
research work has embarked upon to among others, highlight the role of the
media (in the context of newspapers in the coverage of rural and urban problems
in Imo state.
The choice of the newspaper in this enterprise is informed
by the fact that the mass media as vehicle for information, agenda setting and
mass mobilization, possess a unique potential in reversing this unpleasant
status quo
The Daily Champion, The Sun and Vanguard
were thus chosen to reflect this in balance in the coverage or rural/urban
problems in Imo state.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
From a global perspective, third-word countries which are
mostly found in the continent of Africa have been conspicuously backward in
terms of development vis-Ã -vis their western counterparts where a day hardly
passes without the celebration of one scientific or technological feat or
another. These indicates of underdevelopment and backwardness that characterize
the content include, poverty, illiteracy, disease, intertribal conflict,
corruption, absence of infrastructural amenities and general
mal-administration.
When one looks at the
situation in Nigeria, generally, with particular reference to the state of Imo
state in South-Eastern part of the country, it is obvious and regrettable that
successive governments in the country as well as the state (with the exception
of the first civilian government in Imo state (1979-83) had paid lip service
towards ameliorating the plight of especially rural and urban dwellers in these
states who constitutes over
70% of the population of
about 120 million Nigerians (based on projections from the 1991 national census).
The situation is further exacerbated by the
infinitesimally low coverage given to rural and urban problems by our national
media.
The
national media are expected to give full coverage to events in all sections of
the society. The extent of coverage should range from the affluent to the poor,
from the urban to the hinterland, but this, however, is not so with our
national dailies. Indeed, the development of both the rural and urban
communities must be given priority attention in the scheme of things.
Otherwise, the goal of the national development will be elusive. Be that as it
may. It must be pointed out, here, that the goal of community development
through an affective newspaper coverage is not without certain constraints. The
constraint include
(a)
Shortage of staff;
(b)
Limited equipment, transportation
facilities, communication gadgets;
(c)
Limited funds, and
The print media, as has been observed, rarely cover the
rural areas in comparison to cities. In fact, very limited time is allotted to
these coverage, which are not enough considering the scope of the activities
going on there. Granted that some national media have allotted pages to
community news and vents, or even supplements for the local areas where each
local government area is focused upon, unfortunately, these are not in-depth.
Only peripheral issues are covered. Discussion and serious analysis are missing
it all boils down to window dressing.
The news media with a target
local can cover such a community effectively. This is because there is time for
planning and implementation. But in our case here, the general assessment of
the coverage by these media is mediocre. This mediocrity in the manner and
extent of reportage of rural and urban problems in the society is due largely
to the following loopholes identified in the operations of the news media.
(a)
No target area: This is obvious.
Targeting an are means picking on specific area within a zone and covering
them. These
media must regularly highlight
development projects, culture, professions, arts and craft, a well as need and
deprivations of these areas.
(b)
Lack of no-the spot coverage.
Those on the scene of event and incidents tend to write authoritatively about
them. So, the reporter must investigate in order to be credible. Where a
reporter is kilometers away, the study might go stale by the time he gets
there.
(c)
Coverage is general not specific.
The coverage given to issues is often superficial. It does not go into detailed
issues.
As the filler of the communication gap between the
government and the rural dwellers on the one hand, and the urban and rural
populace on the other hand, the mass media are an important player in this
enterprise of community development. This is in view of the fact that
information provided by these media is a tool for mobilization, galvanization,
sensitization and transformation of the rural communities.
The newspaper, for instance, localizes and interpret state
and national news for the consumption of the people. Although there is scarcely
any community newspaper in Nigeria today, this void can be filled by
national and state newspapers through improved coverage of community
activities.
Aware of the ability newspaper to give objective,
thorough, sound and fair coverage of community development projects, this
research work therefore, is an imperative. Besides, the coverage so given by
the newspapers can help by redirecting change agents on the priority of the
local populations to avoid embarking on unrealistic projects.
It is against the foregoing background that the researcher
embarked on this study – a comparative study of newspaper reporting of rural
and urban problems in Imo state. A contents analysis of the Sun, Vanguard and
Daily Champion over a period of one month, to determine their roles in rural
development.
STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEMS
This study is strictly concerned with concerned with
determining the extent of coverage and prominence accorded
development problems by Nigerian
newspapers with a view to identifying the level of commitment of the nation’s
press towards rural transformation and emancipation from economic, social and
political bondage. Among the indices of underdevelopment are poverty, low
standard of living, high cost of living, illiteracy, poor infrastructural
facilities, unemployment and disease.
The study sets out to find the reasons for the low
coverage of rural news by Nigeria newspapers.
This research work is also pre-occupied with the task of
ascertaining whether the amount and quality of rural news carried by the
national media are sufficient and capable enough to bring about the desired
positive change in the rural communities.
The problems emanating from the low coverage of rural
community problems by the Nigerian newspaper equally engage the attention of
this study.
This research
work is based on two major theories, the development media theory and the
Democratic participant media theory. Both theories emerge out of the
realization that the original four classical theories viz, the authoritarian,
Libertarian, social responsibility and Soviet-communist theories, do not apply
strictly to developing countries or where they can be applied, have limited
potential benefits because of some peculiar characteristics of the developing
countries.
The development media theory
is predicated on the premise that the state has a right to intervene in or
restrict media operations in the interest of development needs. In this way,
devices of censorship, subsidy and direct control can be justified.
Remarkably, this theory
emanated from the Sean McBride report of the United Nations (UNESCO)
International Commission for the study of communication problems.
The second theory is germane
to this work is the democratic participant media theory. This is the latest
addition
The theory emphasizes the
right to relevant information, the right to feedback, the right to use the
means of communication for interaction in small scale setting of community,
interest group and subculture. Tersely put, it emphasizes what contemporary
development communication scholar term “Participatory”.
OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
The relevance of
communication in community development, especially in a state like Imo can not
be over-emphasize in view of the benefits derivable from such an exercise. The
rural areas constitute an integral part of every country from where the
development levels of such countries are measure. Over the years, there has been
a noticeable neglect of the rural areas. Thus giving rise to urban migration,
which leads to loss of manpower, economic hardship and abject povert in the
hinterland. In contra-distinction, there is the provision of certain amenities,
though not with the best of intentions, like pipe-borne
water, electricity, white collar jobs health facilities libraries, etc in the
cites.
At one time or another,
certain programmes had been introduced to better the lots of rural dwellers,
though they eventually came to naught due to poor implementation and
misappropriation of funds. These include the government sponsored farmers
co-operative societies, operation feed the nation (OFN) The Green Revolution,
the people Bank, Bettter life for Rural women programme and family support
programme.
Though the above programmes
were targets at rural empowerment, city dwellers ended up the major
beneficiaries. Perhaps, the only national programme that has obviously
benefited the rural dwellers is the National programme Immunization, NPI.
Therefore, by
content-analysis the coverage of rural and urban problems in Imo state by three
national dailies, this study aims at finding the extent to which the mass
media, in this context the newspapers, have succeeded or failed in discharging
their community development functions.
In
addition, it aims at determining which of the three newspapers
is more oriented towards community development through
the nature of rural news publishes.
Another
objective is to rekindle the desire for the coverage of
community development activities by national dailies with a view
to improving the standard of living of rural dwellers in Imo state.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The study offers the readers
the opportunity to assess the level of commitment of these newspapers in
furthering the cause of community development through adequate coverage of
rural and urban problems.
It also highlights the place
of newspapers in the mobilization, education and sensitization of rural
dwellers with a view to bettering their life.
With this study, newspaper
editors will see the need for the use of community development news as lead
stories rather than as ‘fillers’ in the inside pages.
This work is also a guide to
media properties in terms of designing a suitable editorial policy that will
give their newspapers freedom to give adequate attention to rural development
problems.
The study, apart from helping government fashion out an
effective rural-oriented communication policy, may also help in broadening the
knowledge of the
role, place and
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
To
keep the research focused, the following questions are asked.
(a)
To what extent does the location
of a newspaper affect its coverage of rural and urban problems?
(b)
Is there any relationship between
newspaper ownership and coverage of rural and urban problems?
(c)
Is there any correlation between a
newspapers editorial policy and its placement as well as treatment of rural
development news?
(d)
Does the readership size of a
newspaper influence its coverage of rural and urban problems?
LIMITATION
Gathering the various issues of the three newspapers as
well as scutinizing them was no means task. Besides, the formulation of an
appropriate coding scheme was partially most laborious and Herculean.
The economic down turn in the
country with the attendance hike in transport fares made the gathering of the
newspapers as well as visit to libraries and newspaper houses, an expensive
enterprise.
The aforementioned difficulties notwithstanding, the
researcher took adequate steps to contend with those limitations.
DELIMITATION
The scope of this study is restricted to three Nigerian
daily newspapers, viz, The Sun, Vanguard and Daily Champion.
The study spans a period of one month and the focus is on
rural and urban problems. The work is not designed to test literacy level of
rural dwellers in terms of their newspaper reading habits.
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
RURAL COMMUNITY:
A Pamphlet of the Anambra state development
authority “Focus” defined it as “a unified body of inherited cultural affinity
and common socio-economic and political interest”.
RURAL
DEVELOPMENT: it
is the improvement of the lifestyle, as well as making available those
non-existing facilities in a rural environment, for the good of the
inhabitants. These facilities range from good water, electricity, mortorable
roads, health-care, schools, and recreational facilities to judicial and other
institutions. Thus, it is all embracing.
According to Akonobi (former military Governor, old
Anambra State), Rural Development is strategy designed to improve the economic
and social conditions of a specific group of people’.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:
According to former Tanzanian president, late Julius Nyerere, community
Development is the “Participation of people in a mutual living experience
involving themselves, their local resources, external agents and outside
resources.”
URBAN PROBLEMS: These are the
developmental projects that must be carried out to ensure the well-being
and improvement in the standard of living of urban dwellers.
Rural problems: These are the
developmental projects, efforts or enterprises which are lacking in the
hinterland, thus making life unbearable for the inhabitants.
COMPARATIVE STUDY: A comparative
study is a type of scientific enquiry, which attempts to establish
causes of or contributory factors to a problem by comparing two or more group,
some having the problems and some not having it.
NEWSPAPERS: A German scholar,
Otto Growth, in 1928 developed a set of five standards that modern
scholars generally hold as acceptable criteria for determining a true
newspaper.
i)
A newspapers must be published
periodically at intervals not less than once a week.
ii)
Mechanical production must be
employed
iii)
Anyone who can pay the cover price
must have access to the publication.
iv)
It must vary in content and
include every thing of public interest to everyone.
v)
Newspapers publication must be
timely some continuity of organization.
A
newspapers can also be defined as a wholesome package of news, event and views
of a day, in a given area of circulation or leadership.
According to the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) English Dictionary, a newspaper is a number of
large sheets of folders paper on which news, articles, advertisements, and
other information are printed.
Newspapers, generally. Can
come in the form of Tabloids or Broadsheets.
REPORTING: The British
Broadcasting corporation (BBC) English Dictionary defines Reporting as
the or presenting of newspapers or radio or television.
Bittner, J.R. (1989). Mass Communication. An introduction
)5th Ed) New
Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.
Anambra State Rural (1987), “Focus on Rural Development
Authority Development
Authority in Anambra State” Vol.2
Nyerere, Julius (1981). “Towards A Participatory Strategy
for Integrated Rural Development” p. 699.
Akonobi, Nnaemeka )1990). Integrated Rural Development in
Nigeria
The Anambra Experience in Ike Nwosu (ed) Mass
Communication and National Development, Aba: Frontiers Publishers Ltd.
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