Over the
years, mass media have been in the fore-front of bringing social economic and
political changes in the society through its various programmes.
The media here
comprises both print and electronic media. While print media uses news items
like features, articles and editorial to update their readers, television and
radio uses programmes like commentaries, interviews, cartoons, discussion of
burning issues in the society to keep both their viewers and listeners abreast.
The media also
set agenda for its audience through its gate keeping concept because most
people tend to discuss or focus their attention on the things sent from the
media houses either from print or broadcast medium.
The
performance of media today is not consistent with the day to day activities and
happenings of the society. According to Asemah (2011, p 26) the ownership of
the media is concentrated in the handle of the few individuals who have money
in essence, they determine what their media stations news content should be.
Machie
(1998:18) stress that the media are more responsible to their owners than the society,
the media owe its allegiance and dedication first to its owners instead of
being socially responsible to the public.
Also, Iwokuagh
(2005) asserts that news contents manipulation (biasness) entails an abnormal
control and undue influence which is usually through subtle, clever but unfair
means, slanting, twisting, polishing, embellishment for some particular gains.
From the aforementioned, it shows clearly that the contents of the media always
reflect the interest of these people who owned them or finance them.
The media
practitioners suffer limitations in performing their duties effectively because
they don’t have a say in whatsoever is being published in their media houses.
There
different forms of ownership can be exercised in different ways i.e. media
ownership, be it government or private see a particular interest group, not
general people and the media houses suffer deliberate manipulations of its
content by the governments or individuals who are in charge because of the
power they possess and thereby reduce the efficiency and credibility of media
houses.
This was why
Folarin (1998:23) asserts that speaking about gate-keeping theory in relation
to the media explained that at every point in the process of news dissemination
a crop of individuals have to dictate which media content to publish, which to
defer and which delete completely, these individuals have the capacity to open
or close these media houses respectively depending on the nature of their
editorial policies.
We have three
different types of ownership they include public, private and government media
ownership.
According to
wikipedia on-line, public media ownership refers to providing communication as
a public service and addressing audiences as citizens rather than consumers. It
is different from private ownership which provides communication for the
purpose of generating profit.
While
government media is that type of media ownership where the government or the
state funds the media houses, there after stand as the mouth piece of the government.
From the above
mentioned types of media ownership, the media is supposed to be free of both
internal and external forces but they have been subjected to the owners
scrutinization of the types of content it send to the public and as such
deprives media consumers the right to know and choose the message or
information they love most.
Bitner (1989)
notes that the mass media is expected to raise certain issues in the society to
the plain discussion among members of the society, but today they use the function
to favour certain members of the society above others.
The 1999
constitution, chapter two section (22) and. section (39) I and II as cited in
Benin media corn journal (2010/2011) outlines the responsibility of the mass
media in monitoring governance specifically section 22 commonly referred to as
“obligation 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 of the people.
The owners of
media houses be it private, public or government do not give respect to this
part of the constitution.
Owners of
media houses dictates the content of news that should be published not minding
what it does to the public. They also interfere on the day in day out
activities of their media houses hereby making media practitioners not. to
carry out their obligations and duties effectively.
Akinfeleye
(2007:52) opines that “it is the duty of the media to monitor governance and
make public offices, public figures accountable to the public at all times”
looking at the postulation of Akinfeleye one wonders what happens when a man
who own a media station eventually becomes the governor of the state where the
station is sited, would such media stations be able to monitor the governance
and hold public offices accountable? The media owners do not allowed.
The media
consumers to get the right Information or chose the information or message
which they want rather they sent out to the public the one they want them to
consume and channel their thinking that way.
The media
ownership Influence has affected the mass media negatively by not being free to
discharge their duties very effectively and creditably. Lets take Delsu studio
for example, during my period of industrial training the in the studio, I
discovered that as staffs or I.T. trainee we are not allowed to write reports
on any issue that has to do with government officials unless Its to their
favour, as a reporter the studio If you have any concrete story that is known
to be true you cannot attempt to write on it because it will tarnish the image
and reputation of such government official.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
There is no
doubt that the mass perform a vital role in our society. The media through their
various programmes set agenda for the public and hold the government and public
officials accountable for their action in order to have a better and peaceful
existence, the media can also enhance national growth and advise the government
concerning policy to take in a given time, but the media can do all these if
they are free, independent and have an enabling environment to operate on.
Media
ownership has influenced journalism in Nigeria to the extent that reports from
most media organizations are not fair and factual the interest of the public is
suppose to be the utmost priority of all media organization but we find out
that it is not like that anymore because all media practitioners including
journalist must do as their media owners say in order to keep their jobs.
What will be
the nature of the world if media owners are allowed to dictate what comes out
of their media houses? It is against this backdrop that the researcher
investigates if indeed there is ownership influence in Delta Broadcasting Service.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives
of this study are:
i. To find out whether media ownership brings about bias
reporting in Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS).
ii. To access if there is negative influence
of ownership control on Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS).
iii. To find out the type of ownership that is
obtainable in Delta Broadcasting Service.
iv. To find out the form of media ownership that has the most
influence on news and editorial content.
1 4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research
questions formulated for this study are:
i. What are the effects of ownership control in Delta
Broadcasting Service?
ii. Does the influence of media ownership
affect$ the operation of Delta broadcasting Service.
iii. How much does the influence of media ownership
affect news contents and production in Delta Broadcasting Service?
iv. What type of media ownership is obtainable in Delta
Broadcasting Service?
v. To what extent does the influence of media ownership promotes
bias reporting?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
significant of the study lies in the fact that:
i. The study will help mass media practitioners in Nigeria to
uphold the tenets of the profession at all times.
ii. To enable private media owners understand
the intricate nature of the mass media and to know that mass media is not like
any other business.
iii. It will help news editors to always do
their job perfectly and judiciously.
iv. To enable the government to create enabling
environment for mass-media houses to operate effectively.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study aims
to evaluate of the effects of ownership influence and control on Delta
Broadcasting service.
The
Establishment of Delta Broadcasting Services Warri began after the creation of
Delta State on August 27th 1991, under the regime of the first
military administration of the state Rtd. Group Captain under the regime of the
first military administration of the state Rtd. group captain Duke Ochollor.
Situated on a
vast expanse of land on the NPA expressional, Edjeba, Warri existence of the
forth kilowatts transmitter for television and thirty-five kilowatts and a mast
head of two hundred and forty meters for radio which has needed to be the
highest within Niger-Delta areas for former relay happening within and outside
the state.
The radio
Delta Warn called 88.6 FM has an apt call sign, Melody FM while the television
arm on channel 41 UHF (Ultra High Frequency) is known as Delta Rainbow
Television which is used as a powerful unifying role in promoting the values of
oneness and common destiny in a. heterogeneous society like Delta State.
Every
organization sets television objectives and goals which will guide its
corporate responsibility and purpose for better delivery.
Below are the
core objectives of Delta Broadcasting service (DBS).
• To maintain and develop the station resource man and
material.
• To deliver programmes and service of information education,
entertainment of the highest quality.
• To acquaint its audience with the current happening within
and outside the state and world at large.
• To monitor the state government activities and to bring same
to masses in the state which bring the citizens closer to the government?
• To service as gate keeping in terms of
information flow.
Delta
Broadcasting Service has a programme structure
popularly
known as “Good Morning Delta” from Monday to Sunday edition. These programme is
land led by different producers and each producers has his or her own day of
production, Good Morning delta takes off by 8:00am on the morning and ends by
10:00am. All the programmes contained in their production are educative
entertaining and information they have programme like Youth Forum Market
Survey, what is the truth, etc.
On the news
aspect, Delta Broadcasting Service has Field Workers it reporters that source
for news and makes it ready for dissemination.
The news room
and current affair department make sure reports are ready on time because delta
Broadcasting Service give that menu new at 7:00pm to 8:00pm and the repetition
of the previous day news reports will be aired as the mid-day news and that is
aired at 12pm daily.
Delta
broadcasting service Asaba which is the state capital was created in 1998 which
was only radio Delta Asaba. In the year 2000, contract to transmitter and
television was awarded, that was when Delta Broadcast Service Asaba began their
television transmission.
The current
general manager of Delta Broadcasting Service Asaba is Mr. Idowu Oritsejafor
while the chief head of Engineer Albert Egbo.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
We would look
at the meaning of definition of definitions of terms of some the words that was
used.
i. Journalism:
journalism is the acting or job of collecting, writing and editing news stones
for news paper magazine, televisions and radio.
ii. Media
ownership: media ownership is a term that is used to describe the practice
whereby increasing fewer persons manage increasing share of the mass media.
iii. Influence: The capacity
or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on the actions,
behaviour, opinion etc.
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