The Effect Of Ownership On Professionalism In The Media Industries (PDF/DOC)
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
According to Head and Sterling (1982) the term media “are those means of communication that use technology to reach large parts of the population almost simultaneously with the kind of news and entertainment that ordinary people can afford to pay” (Laaro, 2004). Invariably, the mass media are an important component of mass communication in disseminating symbolic content to a large interogenous and widely dispersed audience.
The history of journalism in Nigeria can be treated from the 1920s on the independence in 1960. The press became an industry, profession on a social force for libration of the Nigeria people. The multiple dimension of the press attracted the first set of laws by government against it. These laws over time became a fundamental element in the development of the relationship between the media and government in their joint enterprise of forging the countries democratic process.
The role of the modern press pioneers such as the Late Nnamdi Azikwe and the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, among others was to push forward and entrench the role of press as “the watch dog” of Nigeria’s nascent interest.
The media is grouped into print and broadcast media. The print media include: Newspaper, magazine, journals, book, pamphlets, etc. while the broadcast media consist of radio and television. The establishment of Iwe Iroyin fun awon egba ati Yoruba” by Reverend Townsend in Abeokuta in 1959 marked the birth of newspaper in Nigeria.
The initiative later gave rise to the establishment of newspaper outfits like that of Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe in 1931; named “West Africa Pilot” Azikwe’s paper pioneered a general protest against attainment of independence in 1960. The new Nigeria’s Newspaper Limited was established by the then government of the Northern region on 23rd October 1966. The first copy of the papers was issued on 1st January 1966. Before the establishment of new Nigeria newspaper, the Northern Nigeria government has established a Hausa Newspaper in Zaria called Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo in 1965. They simultaneously printed newspaper which enhanced the wise spread of newspaper in Kaduna and Lagos. As at today, Nigeria has various Newspapers ranging form the Nigeria tribune established 16th Novembers 1949. The punch, the Vanguard, the sun, this day tceters, at present, Nigeria has a number of different language newspapers ranging from Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Itsekiri and so on.
The radio on the other hand started in Nigeria on 1936 through the distribution of programme emanating from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London as part of its overseas service to Lagos, Kano and Ibadan under the arrangement referred to as radifussion. Similarly, in 1959, the Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service (WNBS) was established by Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the first Television station in Nigeria in 1962, The Western region government took full control of the WNBS by buying over, all the shares held by the overseas radiffusion Ltd.
Today Nigeria has thirty six states with each aspiring to set up her own television station in 1976; television stations started becoming colour programme. A new chapter opened in the history of T.V broadcasting in Nigeria with the federal government take over all televisions service in 1978. May state government have however, established more television and radio stations since then and have been competing favorably with the federal government stations.
In a democratic society, the media is referred to as the fourth estate of the realm; this means that after, the executive arm, legislative, judiciary, the media comes next. Edund Buke made this ascertain at one of the proceeding of the British parliament after he had mentioned the three well known estates of the realm, the lords spiritual, the lords temporal and the common. He pointed to the press gallery and added “and younger sits the fourth estates, more important of them all”. President J.F Kennedy’s remark on the American press that the president reigns for four years but journalist govern forever, also confirmed the fact that the media is a partner in progress with the government and not a tool. The broad function of the media are to act as watch-dog over the government, safeguarding the rights of the individual and reporting events accurately, objectively and without bias or prejudice.
However, media ownership tends to have influence on their performance as the “fourth estate of the realm” the degree of freedom of the government owned media cannot be compared with those of private-owned media deliberately avoid criticism of government action and play down stories capable of exposing government secret events when the public interest requires that such story be told to the public. The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) for example will never transmit any report revealing the secrets of the federal government. The private media even through not entirely free from this faults expose bad acts of especially the government.
Government-owned media are purposely set to give maximum publicity to the government activities and any journalist who does not want to lose his/her job must keep to that policy. This policy also operate in Osun State where the Gold Fm must not Criticnce the government of the day when t he interest of the public is at stake. A good example of when government Rauf Aregbesola refused to show up at the commissioning of the state high court where the vice president was present. The government deliberately ignored the event based on some political crisis between the people’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action congress of Nigeria (ANC). Gold FM did not criticize the governor for dishonoring the vice-president in their news content. This is one of the reasons that propelled the researcher to embark on this research work to find out influence of ownership on the performance of Gold F M Ilesha, Osun State.
However, it was gathered that the station may love done this deliberately to get favor from the state government of course; they need financial muscle to survive.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The mass Media in Nigeria especially the government owned have been accused of dancing to the whines and caprices of the various government owing them. This has greatly affected their performance in the society as the fourth estate of the realm serving as watch dog against the government.
The purpose of this study therefore, is to examine the influence of the federal government on the performance of Gold FM Ilesha.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
To show how ownership pattern of media organization affect their professional performance.
To know whether broadcast media content are subjected to censorship before they are broadcast for the public.
To examine the effect of influence of ownership on the staff of broadcast media house.
1.4 Research Question
Does the ownership pattern of media organization affect professional performance?
Are the media broadcast contents subject to censorship before they are broadcast to the public?
Does the influence of ownership on the media have any effect on the staff?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study will be significant to:
Regular users of the media like advertisers, sponsor, Ngos etc.
Scholars, academic and analysis who study and comment about the media.
Future researcher.
1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The scope of this research study will cover programmes and news department of Golf FM Ilesa.
The research study is limited to Gold Fm Ilesa because of the limited time within which in should be carried out coupled with inadequate fund to finance the research work. These factors will make it difficult to cover all the areas relevant to this study.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Influence:
Power to have an effect on the way someone or some thing develops, behaves or think without using direct force of commands.
Ownership:
The act of having or possessing something as one’s own.
Media:
Those means of communication that used technology to reach large part of the population almost simultaneously with the kind of news and entertainment that or ordinary people can afford to pay.
Professionalism:
The high standard that you expect from a person who is well trained in a particular job.
5.0 Summary, Recommendation and Conclusion
5.1 Summary
The mass media in Nigeria, especially the government owned have been accused of dancing to the whims and caprice of the various governments owing them. This according to the critics has greatly affected their performance in the society as the “fourth Estate of Realm”. This consequently propelled the researcher to embark on this research work to find out the influence of ownership on media performance in Nigeria using Gold FM Ilesha news content as an appraisal.
Research questions were drawn on which the analysis of data collected and findings were based. Survey was the method used in the research study and questionnaire was the instruments used to collect data from a total number of eight respondents selected through simple random techniques.
The findings from analysis of data collected from respondents revealed that the ownership pattern of Gold FM Ilesha affects it’s performance as table 4 in chapter four showed that all the 80 (eighty), total respondents (100%) agreed that reporters with Gold FM Ilesha will always take cognizance of the interest of the federal government in their news selection and dissemination. Table 6 also revealed this fact that 905 of the (80) total respondents disagree with the statement that programmes other than news on the station are free from government influence.
The findings also revealed that Gold FM Ilesha’s broadcast contents are subject to censorship before they are broadcast to the public. This shows it is subjected to censorship before they are broadcast to the public. This shows on table 10 in chapter four where 68.75% of the eighty total respondents agreed t hat there is lack of balanced and fairness in Gold FM due largely to self-censorship than government control.
The research revealed that the influence of ownership affects its staff. Table 11 in chapter four revealed as 95% of the eighty (total respondents) agreed that there is no broadcast station that can be fair and balance in programming if government continues to fund it.
5.2 Recommendation
To make Gold FM more efficient and professional and for it to really act as the fourth estate in Nigeria, it is recommended that the government should divest itself of the responsibility of running the organization.
We also recommend that the press freedom contained in the Nigerian constitution be well pronounced and protected by the judiciary to create a more conductive atmosphere for edition independence of media organization in the country.
Increasing training facilities for members of staff to boost their performance is also essential. This can be achieved through radio colleges, periodical workshops and seminars must be organized for workers in order to increase their efficiency.
Lastly, because this research study was limited to Gold FM Ilesha due to limited time within which it should be carried out, I recommend further researchers on this topic to cover other relevant areas.
5.3 Conclusion
From the findings of the research work, it can be concluded that it is very difficult if not practically impossible for Gold FM to achieve a reasonable degree of objectivity and professionalism and it will continue to be an extension of the executive arm if government rather than the fourth-estate of realm. This is in view of the ownership and control vested in federal government as their major financiers. Gold Fm will never report studies capable of exposing the government’s activities. Rather, it will continue to give it and its activities maximum publicity. The station will not want to work against the interest of the federal government in a bid to uphold the ethics guiding the profession as it will be tantamount to bring the fingers that feeds it, a situation that can cost the staff their job.
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Effect Of Ownership On Professionalism In The Media Industries. (n.d.). UniProjects. https://uniprojects.net/project-materials/effect-of-ownership-on-professionalism-in-the-media-industries/
“Effect Of Ownership On Professionalism In The Media Industries.” UniProjects, https://uniprojects.net/project-materials/effect-of-ownership-on-professionalism-in-the-media-industries/. Accessed 5 November 2024.
“Effect Of Ownership On Professionalism In The Media Industries.” UniProjects, Accessed November 5, 2024. https://uniprojects.net/project-materials/effect-of-ownership-on-professionalism-in-the-media-industries/