CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
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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