BROADCAST MEDIA AS PROPAGANDA MACHINERY BY STATE GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
According to Robert White (1999:485), broadcasting was introduced as a form of military communication in the 1920s, at the height of nationalism and government propaganda. One of the most striking facts about broadcasting, according to Dominick (1990:175), is that it was invented by young people.
For example, Marconi, who invented the wireless transmitter, was only twenty-three years old at the time, and Reginald Fessenden made his first radiophone broadcast when he was thirty-four. But, can adults misuse or abuse broadcasting media because it was created by children?
As a result, it could be abused by the powers that be. According to Aiyetan (2002) and Galadima (2003:260), “public office holders believe they can do anything and get away with it as long as they have control over the media or can get a good journalist to do the dirty job of lying with facts.”
Odumegwu Ojukwu made the following observation:
When a public official does something outrageous, the media sings his praises rather than condemning him, rather than focusing on more important national or state issues. Gdadima (2003: 261) cites this.
Ternakur (2003:236), citing Nwankwo (1987), describes the Nigerian mass media as “government said” media, emphasizing Ojukwu’s observation. In their media outfits, governments reflect the will and interests of the class that controls the existing mode of production, power bloc, and political machinery.
Neither the government nor their media employees ever admit to misusing the media. Every journalist distances themselves from the term “propaganda.” However, according to Casey (1960:232), “the problem that every medium of communication faces is separating news from propaganda.”
In a free system, one can tell the difference between a journalist and a propagandist. Both are eager informers. Journalists, on the other hand, seek news and serve the producers of news rather than the consumers of news. Journalists are propagandists in Nigeria’s government-owned media. They employ every known propaganda device to achieve their paymasters’ objectives.
According to Junhao Hong (1997:223), “the Chinese government conducts propaganda campaigns through broadcast media.” Is it bad to spread propaganda? In response to this question, Ebeze (2003: 219) states, “Propaganda is not made up of lies and stories.” It works with a variety of truths, including half-truths, limited truths, and truth out of context.”
According to the author, “modern propaganda introduces new dimensions that tend toward education and enlightenment.”
Broadcasting media in Nigeria began in the 1930s. By 1936, radio had made its debut when the first Radio Distribution Service via rediffusion sets became operational in Lagos, Nigeria, according to Ebo (1994:43).
However, what is now known as Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) was founded on October 1, 1960, as Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (ENBC). After forty-eight years of operation, it will be appropriate for a study of this nature to ascertain from an independent source whether the government used it as propaganda machinery or otherwise.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Governments all over the world, particularly in third-world countries with less free press, have used broadcasting media to manipulate the masses. Broadcasting, like print media, is volatile, with limitless potential for satisfaction. It has enormous potential in terms of information dissemination, educational enlightenment, political socialization, and socio-cultural orientation.
The majority of people form their opinions based on what they have learned from the media. Unfortunately, as observed by schramm (1971), as cited by Ebeze (200:221)
Forming an opinion becomes more difficult when a person lacks access to adequate information……… this information will assist the individual in forming an opinion.
When the public is misinformed or uninformed as a result of excessive censorship or punitive control measures imposed by the government on state-owned media, the public may react and take the law into their own hands. For example, between 2000 and 2002, media audiences in
Anambra, Imo, and Abia states resorted to jungle justice by invading and attacking Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) Awka, Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) Oweri, and Broadcasting Corporation of Abia (BCA) Umuahia. The attacks on broadcasting media stations were the result of unprofessional election news reporting. The three broadcast stations mentioned above are not alone in their unprofessional broadcasting.
Because ESBS is a state government-owned broadcasting media station, it, like others, could be involved in state government propaganda machinery. As a result, the problem of this study is what the state government’s use of state
broadcast media as propaganda can cause in terms of opinion formation, information need, education, and political socialization of those who are exposed to state broadcast media. Disinformation and propaganda, as defined by Lasswell (1937), “Propaganda are techniques of influencing human actions by the manipulation of representation,” are more likely to exist in a society where the government abuses the media.
Moguluwa (2004:159). The government must avoid all forms of deception and false information. However, the government frequently prefers negative propaganda to good public relations practice when seeking popular support.
Propaganda machinery in information dissemination has a lot of negative consequences on media audiences, especially if it comes from the state government through its media, so a study of this type cannot be ignored at this time.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
Sycophancy flattery and praise singing have been elevated to disturbing new heights, particularly in political broadcasting…
…. The crude and irritating art of praise singing for governors and their officials has been perfected by state-owned broadcast media stations (Umechukwu, 2000:13).
In fact, a sycophant journalist irritates media audiences, who frequently see them through the falsehood of the media content packaged by the unethical singer.
Sycophancy, in all of its manifestations, kills the spirit of investigative journalism, particularly among young reporters who encounter praise-singing and accept it as the norm in journalism practice.
The objectives of this study are based on this seemingly observable observation.
1. Determine whether ESBS engages in sycophantic formalism.
2. Determine whether its audiences have ever risen to attack its facilities and stations for unethical reporting.
3. To assess the level of government censorship of broadcast media outputs.
4. To determine how friendly the station is to the state’s ruling political party’s opposition groups.
5. Determine the pattern of journalist recruitment into the organization.
1.4 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE
The advantages of this research are numerous. Because of its importance, the use of state broadcast media as a propaganda machine by state governments necessitates a thorough empirical investigation. As an example,
a. The study’s findings will confirm whether state governments use state broadcast media as propaganda vehicles.
b. The study will reveal the extent to which the state government is involved in station management and staff recruitment.
c. The study will reveal the extent of sycophantic behavior in the state broadcast media.
d. The study’s findings will be used as reference materials for future studies in management, government, and mass communication.
e. The study will be beneficial to both the state government and the ESBS management in a variety of ways.
1.5 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
A number of questions have been raised, and the answers to these questions will undoubtedly provide a solution to the problem of state government mismanagement of state broadcast media organizations. This researcher believes that the following research questions will focus and direct his attention to major issues in the identified problem, and they are.
A. Do respondents believe ESBS engages in sycophantic broadcasting?
B. Do the respondents recall any instances when the ESBS audience protested its unprofessional reporting of state matters?
C. Are respondents aware that the state government censors broadcast media news items?
D. Can respondents recall a time when state broadcast media provided equal and balanced coverage and reporting of opposition groups’ activities alongside state government activities?
E. Do respondents understand the method and pattern of staff recruitment in the ESBS organization?
1.6 HYPOTHESES FOR RESEARCH
Ho: Respondents do not believe that ESBS engages in sycophantic broadcasting.
H1: Respondents note that ESBS engages in sycophantic broadcasting.
Ho: Respondents are unable to recall a time when the ESBS audience revolted against unethical broadcasting.
H2: Respondents recall when the ESBS audience revolted against unethical broadcasting.
Ho: Respondents are unaware that the state government censors broadcast media news items.
H3: Respondents are aware that the state government censors news items broadcast on television.
Ho: Respondents are unable to recall a time when the ESBS balanced event coverage between the state government and its opposition groups.
H4: The respondent remembers ESBS balancing event coverage between the state government and its opposition groups.
Ho: Respondents have little knowledge of how media workers are recruited in the ESBS organization.
H5: Respondents are very familiar with how media workers are recruited in ESBS organizations.
1.7 TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS
To prevent readers from misinterpreting certain words or terms in the title of this work, the researcher defined the terms conceptually and operationally. These are some examples of words and phrases:
1. Broadcasting by the state
2. Dissemination
3. State administration
Do You Have New or Fresh Topic? Send Us Your Topic
BROADCAST MEDIA AS PROPAGANDA MACHINERY BY STATE GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA
INSTRUCTIONS AFTER PAYMENT
- 1.Your Full name
- 2. Your Active Email Address
- 3. Your Phone Number
- 4. Amount Paid
- 5. Project Topic
- 6. Location you made payment from