ABSTRACT
Communication is central to all human
activities. The claim that we cannot communicate receive scholarly applause.
However, there are people who seem to
be neglected when we began to discuss communication and information flow. Those
in the urban cities are always better informed to the detriment of the
ruralities.
It is an irony that while the aim to
reach out the grassroots and properly highlight the development problems of the
people, remains the driving force for the rapid expansion of radio facilities,
the medium has continued to be critized as being too urbanized in content and
coverage.
According to Moemaka (1981:34),
The impact of radio diminishes as
one gets away from the cities into the rural area, while the rural dwellers
exist mainly as an eave – dropping audience.
Fortunately, one of the outcome of
seem Mac Bride, Commission of Enquiry (1980) on information flow, is that rural
people who produce bulk of the food, thereby enhancing the growth of the
economy, should be given urgent attention in information dissemination.
Izuora (1993) notes that programmes
have been designed and carried out to improve health conditions, promote
non-informal education, ensure cultural promotion, civic education, and the
improvement of agricultural production. According to him programme managers and
policy makers admit that through single, drama, documentaries, news and talk
programmes, radio is being effectively used to reach the grassroots.
Our concept of the rural man is that
person who is confined to his little community, he does not know what happens
around him and the outside world.
This researcher found out that an Nzam
Man (In Anambra West L.G.A. Anambra State), is a typical rural man.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the study
1.2 Theoretical
framework
1.3 Statement
of the Research Problem
1.4 Objective
of the study
1.5 Significance
of the study
1.6 Research
Question
1.7 Research
Hypotheses and Null Hypotheses
1.8 Conceptual
and Operational Definitions
1.9 Limitations
of the Study
References
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Sources
of literature
2.2 The
Review
2.3 Summary
of Literature Review
References
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
Method
3.2 Research
Design
3.3 Research
Sample
3.4 Pilot
Study
3.5 Result
of the Pilot Study
3.6 Measuring
Instrument
3.7 Data
Collection
3.8 Data
Analysis
3.9 Expected
Results
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT
4.1 Data
Analysis
4.2 Results
4.3 Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR FURTHER STUDY
5.1 Summary
5.2 Recommendations
for further study
References
Bibliography
Appendices
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
This work is designed to study how rural dwellers utilize radio in
comparison with television message to effect social change.
Other communication channels, like the inter personal communication,
traditional communication or what Frank Ugboajab called (Oramedia), newspaper
and magazines are not quite effective as the radio and television especially in
the much desired rural development. Those who found fault in the face – to –
face communication and oramedia, did so due the lack of persuasion and
inadequate coverage characteristics of them. For the newspaper and magazine,
the high level of illiteracy prevalent in the rural areas constitute an
impediment to the messages since the illiterate ruralite cannot read and even
when the messages are coded or written in his own language.
To further establish the inadequacies of the oramedia, Ikechukwu E. Nwosu
(1990) in his article “An overview of the Relationship Between Communication
and Rural/National Development” in mass communication and National Development
(ed), said that “The problem in employing these media of traditional
communication as potent instrument of development communication lies more in
the area of changing the attitude of the communicators, policy makers and
researchers toward them. We also need to improve the level of massage storage,
retrieval and replicability among these oramedia forms. It lies more in
expanding our understanding of their functions, nature, content and uses, and
may be coming up with standard technical vocabulary for describing its various
forms in our various communities”.
The radio and television in this regard, are the most effective means of
reaching the rural dwellers, and to effect social and development changes in
these neglected or totally forgetten rural areas.
To Nzam Community in Anambra West Local Government area, in Anambra
state, radio set are more easily affordable – hence found in most homes. Even
in the rice farm’s, yam farm, in the river fishing, an Nzam man is seen with
his transistor radio, conscious to get the giot of the day from his favourite
radio station who is ever-ready to broadcast in his language of understanding.
Television sets, on the other hand, are owned by some well-to-do
individuals, whet her literate or illiterate. Though Nzam community is
characterized by non-availability of electricity those that own the television
sets, make use of the electric generating plants, and chargeable batteries to
operate the sets.
Therefore, to this community, television ownership is not confined to
literate class, as illiterate but well-to-do villagers own television as
luxury, capable of providing relaxation from the stresses of the daily life.
No doubt, in his “mass media organisation and management” lecture, Nnamdi
Okewa of the development of mass communication E.S.U.T. Enugu, maintain that:
Most Yoruba purchase television
sets not just for the luxury of it, but for the sake of Babasala’s drama, which
provides an excellent comic relief to the Yoruba man after his activities
during the day”.
This study compares radio and television messages as agent of rural
development of Nzam community in Anambra.
Previous researchers in this field, confined themselves to the study of
urban and rural dwellers in terms of media exposure. But this research aims at
specifically finding out which of the two mass media of communication – radio
or television is mostly used by the Nzam Community in Anambra, in obtaining
development information. We also intend to study the two media in the daily
life of this rural people. We also, will find out whether the community
embarked on any rural development project, and what roles the radio played as
against the audio – visional – television.
In mobilization, this study found out the role played by radio based on
the ban placed on importation of foreign products eg Textile, Can Foods, Flour,
Sugar, Foreign Shoes etc as it affected the unabilitants of Nzam as compared to
television.
It is quite undisputable that rural development as a socio-economic
phenomenon is not a new as the current emphasis on it portrays. It is as old as
the rural communities themselves. These communities have no doubt recorded some
degree of development in the past; but to what extent and through which means?
The rate of development have been so slow it they either been unnoticed
or neglected or decades. This unfortunate situation unabatedly could be
attributed to lack of suitable mess media.
With the availability of more sophisticated and well directed mass media,
like radio and television the ruralities, especially Nzam community, now sings
a different tune of music that tune is rural development.
The rural man is not raw as we think, however, he may not understand what
he is doing if he is not adequately informed and persuaded. He wants to hear
from the authentic medium (radio), and see it done through the television,
especially in his native language. It is thus not a sure that the rural man
rushers to his or set whenever and wherever he hear his village pronounced on
the radio.
1.2 THEORETICAL FRAME WORK
Lack of infrastructural facilities like good roads, electricity,
pipe-born-water, hospitals, schools, among others, are for almost permanent in
the rural areas especially in Nigeria.
These point above, make life difficult in the rural areas, hence the
present urban migration. But with the present of the radio and television,
government have been called upon to develop the rural areas and people through
the provision of these infrastructures to them. The call comes on daily bases.
The world develop because people ask why, and because the world is full
of complexities. In this study “The Role of Radio and Television in Rural
Development”, the researcher used two suitable theories to that effect.
They are: THE DEVELOPMENT THEORY AND AGENDA –SETTING THEORY.
The scientist considered Developmental theory because we in the
developing world need information and communication to effect change and bring
out rural development.
On the other hand, the Agenda – setting is a situation where the mass
media (Radio and Television) tell the rural people what to do, how and the
importance of doing such in order to bring development.
1.3 STATEMENT
OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
In a traditional African Society, communities undertook various form of
development projects, these projects includes village hall, construction of
access roads to farm – settlements, neighbouring villages and towns, and other
traditional project.
Added to this aforementioned projects are the provision of good drinking
water, building of modern school, cottage hospitals, and health centres, post
offices and even modern markets and electrification project.
More of ten the execution of such projects depend on effective leadership
of the town and village heads (chief) and available resources of the community,
and their level of awareness.
However, in the present circumstances, communities are beginning to be
exposed to different influences of development. Government project are not
found at every nook and crary in different rural communities. This is to say
that our government have regarded these hardworking rurlaities as isolated or
totally forgotten, especially as the government faces austere or harsh economic
realities.
Although, electricity supply does not exist in Nzam community, the
well-to-do individuals in this community make use of electric generating plants
for their television sets, while others make use of chargeable motor batteries
to that effect. To this community, television ownership is not confined to
literate class, as illiterate but well-to-do villagers own television as luxury
goods. Therefore, the community has exceeded the UNESCO’s, mark of 2 television
receivers per 50 inhabitants.
In the usual village life, children and adults visit the homes of
television owners to watch the latest in the days program. This helps them to
relax their nerves after the days farming activities and other jobs. To those
who cannot go to the homes of the well-to-do individuals or that of their
relatives that has the television sets, the story of each days comes to them on
second hand basis. To them, the much desired satisfaction and influenced in not
there.
On the other hand, the radio transistor is relatively low in cost,
appears in various sizes and broadcasts in the language under-stand able to the
community. Radio transistor is found in 1 of every 5 inhabitants of Nzam
community. Therefore, the radio has become to a great number of Nzam people, a
household property and companion. Companion in the sense that while the rice
farmer does his tilling and planting, he has a transistor radio by his side
providing him with information, jokes and important government announcements.
He is also doing that in expectation that one of his relatives or friend could
send a request programme to him through the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS)
radio AM or FM. The “Ogeolu Ugbo” or “Oge Omen a ani” Igbo programmes of ABS
and Minaj Radio respectively are some of such numerous entertainment programmes
that farmers does not want to miss, therefore he carries along the transistor
radio to the farm.
The questions that might then basked or arise are:
1.
Are the Radio messages more effective in rural
development for the rural dwellers?
2.
Are the audience of radio larger than those of
television rural communities?
3.
Are the radio and television stations directing
their programmes towards rural development?
4.
What is the attitude of rural dwellers to people
towards radio and TV programming?
5.
What is the level of the ruralities involvement
in radio and television programme?
1.4 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
Communication in central to every
human existence and activities, prominent scholars in the field of
communication are not wrong when they defined the world as a global village
owing to the sophisticated technological innovations like the radio and
television sets.
Radio and television are the two outstanding and distinguished
broadcasting media. Talking about grassroot broadcasting, the radio enjoys the
greatest effect.
The radio (transistor) comes in various sizes and thus makes it
relatively cheaper to afford. Because of this, the village wine tappers who can
afford the small size radio, can also easily tie it to his waist enjoying his
favourite programme while carrying the days business on the palm tree.
The language barrier usually associated with some other mass media, does
not show its ugly head. This is to say that the radio stations broadcast in the
language of the audience (listeners), making it possible for them to
understand. The rural man in this case, does not need to be literate in order
to hear his own language. Even with about 250 languages scattered across
Nigeria, the radio has solutions to them.
It is the broadcasting media that can reach the widest number of
listeners (audience), on the maintain, in river-line areas, and even the most
remote areas. Added to this is the instantaneous nature of the radio. It has
the power to broadcast an event direct, ie at the same time the event is taking
place.
On the other hand, the television combines the audio and visual effect to
make it an interesting can effective medium of communication. Because of the
mentioned characteristics, it could be more effective, in appealing and
persuading to the public, however, the cost of the gadget now lives one in
doubt especially the ruralities as to how many of them can afford it.
Rural development as a socio-economic phenomenon, is not as new as the
current emphasis on it portray. It is as old as the rural communities
themselves. These communities have no doubt, recorded some degrees of
development in the past. But to what extent? However, the rate of these
developments have been so slow that they have either been unnoticed or
neglected for many decades now. If rural development has in the past been that
slow and so produced little results, then the rural machinery or agent for
development must be faulty.
Researches in the area of rural development has shown that government in
the past has been looked upon as the sole agent of rural development or
transformation. Suffice it to say that community contributions, towards such
development as a result of this negative attitude, have been rare and minimal,
if at all the exist.
The answer to the cause of this situation is not far, it has been largely
because of ignorance or lack of sufficient awareness on the ruralities. This
promoted Akin Mabogunje, in his unpublished article “community organisation, and
collective action” to state that “a verile community organisation cannot be
sustained unless the members consciousness or awareness as to why the need the
organisation is raised”.
In the same vein community participation in 8 rural project on programme is
guided by the same ideology. Jerry Gana quoting the United vations committee on
Rural Development (UNCRD 1985) pointed out that the capacity of a rural
community to respond to a specific local development plant and/or market force
differs dramatically, depending on the socio-economic and cultural foundation
of the community.
What is being pointed out here is that rural communities need to be
properly mobilized in order to create the awareness basic for appreciation and
participation in any development process. In other words, they need to be
educated, not in school, but to change the attitudes toward development in the
society.
Therefore, the implication is that for any rural development
programme/project to be functioned and meaningful, it has to be oriented
towards the people (ruralities in this case). The rural folks must have
effective participation in the decision-making process of that project
programme.
As this research revolves around “development”, one can vines the concept
development to mean different things to different people.
To the first world, development suggest a process of improving
structures, or greating new ones. It is in line with this thinking that the
United States government stated that development of nations abroad. To them,
(U.S), it means using organisation to develop other nations. In developing countries
like Nigeria, the United States for Information Agency (U.S.I.A), is used in
development communication.
The second world (Maxist) sees development as a means of Ideological or
geopolitical expansion.
For the third world countries,
whose characteristics include:-
Relatively low per capital income,
a high rate of illiteracy, agriculturally based economy, short life expectancy,
low degree of social mobility a strong attachment to traditions, and histom, of
colourization.4
Some writers see development as most important in the sphere of
international communication. They pass this judgment because almost all
activities of the third world governments are attached to the development in a
manner. They also see the mass media as an instrument of development, no matter
who owns the media (private or government).
It becomes important to note that development depends on the political
framework of a given nation. The degree of freedom enjoyed by the mass media is
related to the political structure of the particular nation. Because these
writers see the mass media as an instrument of development, they try to use the
mass media to achieve developmental goal.
International bodies like UNESCO look at development as helping the third
world countries to develop. An organisation like UNESCO seems to be supports
the third world demand for the New World Information and communication order
(NWICO) as its perception of the concept of communication. In other words,
UNESCO seems to accept the view that communication as well as other things form
part of development in the third world especially when it comes to the rural
areas:
Thus, such definitions as a process
of structural change in the technical, economic, political, and social
arrangements by which resources attributed in a society, towards the end of
providing the mass of the populations with the means of living a reasonably
secure, healthy and satisfying life,5
Would appear to be much more acceptable because they reflected the
positive steps currently bein taken by some writers and researchers in the
development field towards extricating development studies from the dutuches of
conventionalism, and apparent short sightedness.
Which ever way development is defined, there exist remarkable agreement
on the view that certain countries of the worl desperately need to acquire all
or at least most of the attributes of development in virtually every aspect of
lives of their people, especially the ruralities – hence rural development.
On this note, the use of radio and television to effect or realize rural
development becomes most suitable and appropriate. In doing this, one
socio-economic group must be identified and treated. This group is the rural
dwellers, predominant illiterate, subsistent/peasant farmers.
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This research project tried to find out whether the hypotheses were
supported through the available data, and give recommendation to government so
as to help the radio and television to raise the standard of the rural people
of Nzam in Anambra West L.G.A. to an urban status by providing rural
development projects to them.
In other words, various governments have been neglecting rural community
in this country, and that is why most rural dwellers find life difficult, and
subsequently rush to urban cities where they think that they can “enjoy” life.
The development nature of the socio-political structure in this country
has made the broadcast media highly sensitive. The broadcast media radio and
television, do perform very crucial rules in shaping the destiny of the
Nigerian audience. It is this vital role that has led to heavy reliance of the
masses on the apparent “credibility” of the broadcast media. Such confidence –
carrying remarks like “I heard it on the radio” and “I saw it on the television
(screen)” go long way to unveiling the extent to which the masses took upon the
broadcast media for guidance and development.
Therefore, examined in this study was the role played by these broadcast
me (radio and television) in raising the rural community awareness of
development project.
The important of this present research is to show the relationship or
pattern of inter-connections between radio and television messages as agent of
rural development of Nzam community. For instance, agriculture is mostly
practice in rural areas of Nigeria like Nzam. This community lack electricity
and therefore seemingly denied the use of some mass media like television,
expect the few well-to-do, that find it difficult to be exposed to new farming
techniques and newly advertiser farm products, implements etc. on the
television, except for the radio.
1.6
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
Are the Radio messages more effective in rural
(Nzam) community development for the rural dwellers?
2.
Are the audience for radio larger than those of
television in rural community especially Nzam?
3.
Do the inhabitants of Nzam have more radio set
them they have television sets?
4.
Are the radio and television stations directing
their programmes towards rural development?
5.
What is the attitude of rural dwellers (Nzam
people) towards the radio and television programmes?
6.
What is the level of ruralities involvement in
radio and television programming?
7.
What significant change(s) has been recorded by
the Nzam community as a result of their exposure to radio and television?
1.7
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS AND NULL HYPOTHESIS
H1: Radio
plays more significant role in rural development than the television.
Ho: Radio
does not play more significant role in rural development than the television.
H2: Radio
and television programmes have been well directed toward rural development,
hence the people of Nzam have been mobilized through the two media (Radio and
Television).
Ho: Radio and
television have not been well directed toward rural development hence, the
people of Nzam have not been mobilized through the two media (Radio and
Television).
H3: The
attitude of rural dwellers on self- oriented development via television
programming has been encouraging.
Ho: The
attitude of rural dwellers on self – oriented development via television
programming has not been encouraging.
H4: Even
with visual advantage, financial and other constraints have render television
ineffective for Nzam community.
Ho: With the
visual advantage, financial and other constraints have not render television
ineffective for Nzam community.
1.8
CONCEPTUAL
DEFINITIONS OF THE VARIABLES
Rural Development: It
is designed to give profit or unpuliftment, such as roads, schools, hospitals,
industries, market and the changes of attitudes.
Audiences: The
assembled listeners or people to hear or listen to a speaker or witness an
event.
Ruralities: The
inhabitants of rural communities who are mostly substation farmers and petty
traders, and mainly illiterates.
Community: Human
settlement located within a particular geographical or local territory, sharp
things together and identical in culture.
Television: It
is a system for converting visual images (with sound) into electrical signals,
transmitting them and displaying them electronically on a screen. Or a process
of transmitting a view of event, plays etc, while these are taking place or
from films or tapes on which records have been made.
OPERATIONAL
DEFINITION
Rural Development: Projects
executed by the people of Nzam community such as rural feeder, raods, good
drinking water, health center, schools and the current electrification project.
Ruralities: The
inhabitant of Nzam community in Anambra West L.G.A, Anambra State.
Audiences: The
people of Nzam who are expose to the radio and television messages and
programme.
Community: Nzam
inhabitants.
1.9
ASSUMPTION
1.
This study assumes that about two-thirds of the
people of Nzam community are illiterate farmers.
2.
That because majority of the people cannot read
and write, radio and television will be more effective in carrying the message
of development.
3.
That people who are not exposed like the Nzam
community see development project as the sole responsibility of the government.
4.
That if the results of the findings and the
recommendations are followed, rural communities will be seen competing for self
help project which contributes to rural development.
5.
It is assumed that the youths in rural areas
migrate from rural to urban areas due to lack of infrastructural facilities
which keep life “enjoyable”, in this rural base.
6.
That communities who are more exposed to the
mass media (specifically radio and television), are more development conscious
than those who are not.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Other mass media like the newspapers,
cinema, billboards, etc are deliberately excluded from this study since
emphasized is on television and radio.
Due to time constraints and limited
financial resources of the researcher, the study is in Nzam Community in
Anambra to enable him reach the sample population easier.
The questions administered were
limited to adults from 18 years old who understand what rural development
entails.
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