EXAMINATION OF THE LEVEL OF NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION IN MEDIA ORGANIZATION
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EXAMINATION OF THE LEVEL OF NEWS COMMERCIALIZATION IN MEDIA ORGANIZATION
ABSTRACT
In all society, the media is seen as a purveyor of national cultures, which are passed down from generation to generation. The mass media’s function of gathering and disseminating news is one way in which this activity occurs.
When news is selected and presented primarily on material gratifications rather than public goals and interests, it violates professional ethics and is detrimental to public unity and growth.
Against this backdrop, this study investigates the extent of news commercialization in Asaba Delta State. In conducting the study, three (3) research questions were posed, including: To what extent do media organisations in Asaba commercialise their news?
What are the many dimensions of news commercialization in media organisations? What is the public’s or audience’s perception of news commercialization? Structured questionnaires were utilised to obtain data from 120 respondents.
The data were analysed using the basic percentage method of data analysis, which resulted in the following key findings: That there is little audience patronage of news media when compared to the previous news commercialization era.
That news producers in the Asaba media organisation have abandoned their societal responsibilities to provide objective reporting in favour of financial gain and other personal interests.
That media organisation commercialised news by charging an official fee before covering a news event. The majority of respondents saw news commercialization in Asaba as a means of producing revenue for industries.
Broadcast media is more objective than print media. That the majority of respondents trust and prefer the broadcast medium above print media. Based on the findings, it was proposed that media organisations, rather than selling news, consider alternative sources of revenue such as investments for private stations and greater financing for government stations.
Nigeria’s broadcast and print media should strive to avoid news commercialization; news should not be based on the amount of money paid, but rather on the event’s newsworthiness. Relevant regulatory agencies should strengthen their operations.
They should go beyond publishing and re-publishing regulations by guaranteeing that media houses are required to conform with the ethics of the profession in the benefit of the country’s unity and growth.
Media managers and practitioners should also serve as gatekeepers, developing media content/messages based on our culture and regionally recognised norms, and the government should monitor the media companies’ actions to guarantee that the messages they transmit fulfil moral societal standards.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND FOR THE STUDY
In current media practice, news has increasingly become a commodity valued for its ability to inform or persuade the public about political, social, cultural, and economic matters.
Thus, in modern media practice, news is commercialised to the point where only the wealthy may transmit their thoughts to the general population. This, in turn, impacts objectivity in mass media, both print and electronic, and has a negative impact on democracy.
According to McQuail (2000), the word mass media refers to a large-scale mode of communication that reaches and involves nearly everyone in a community to some extent. Media is the plural form of medium, which refers to a channel or vehicle used to transport or transmit something.
In other terms, mass media refers to modern society’s communication channels, particularly print and electronic media. McQuail goes on to describe mass media as an organised technique of communicating openly and over long distances to a large number of recipients in a short period of time. The mass media are impersonal communication channels that reach a big audience.
The fundamental function of the mass media system is to disseminate information to several million people. The mainstream media wield enormous power. Each medium is thought to influence perceptions and conduct in a unique way.
They can influence society, and vice versa. The mass media are the uniquely modern means of public communication, and their relevance stems in large part from their role in shaping various modes of perception, thought, public discourse, and political action.
Because of their size and reach, the mass media has a huge impact on society. Murphy (1977), as described by Udomisor and Kenneth (2013), compares the media’s societal impact to oil, glue, and explosives.
Murphy says that communication media, like oil, keep the world operating smoothly by assisting individuals in adjusting to life’s realities. They keep society functioning and healthy by proposing socially acceptable answers.
Communication serves as the glue that holds social cohesion together. Murphy says that the media provides all of us, including strangers, something to talk about by establishing a topic of debate. And that, over time, communication strengthens and maintains the bonds that hold a society together.
Murphy also portrays mass media as dynamites capable of tearing society apart. A good illustration is the publicity campaigns that preceded the Russian Revolution in 1917 and Hitler’s ascension to the German Chancellorship in 1933. Similarly, the mass media, particularly newspapers and magazines, played a critical role in Nigeria’s war for independence in 1960.
The mass media can be divided into two categories: print media and electronic media. The classification is based on the mechanism used to transfer messages.
The print media
The print media has a process that relies on printing pieces of information. Newspapers, magazines, novels, pamphlets, and comic books are examples of mediums that communicate with the public by appealing to their visual sense.
One common feature of print media is the use of plates and blocks, as well as special machinery, to press ink into paper. Print media comprises books, newspapers, and periodicals. Books are the earliest kind of mass communication, although newspapers are the first widely used mass medium. This course would focus a greater emphasis on newspapers and periodicals.
(a) Newspaper. There are two types of newspaper formats:
i. Tabloid.
ii. Standard size.
The most frequent type of newspaper in Nigeria is tabloid. The Sun, Nigerian Tribune, The Hope, and other state-owned newspapers are tabloids. The normal size is huge, equivalent to two tabloid sizes.
It is commonly seen in the United States, Britain, and other advanced countries across the world. In Nigeria, This Day is a good example of a standard-sized newspaper.
(b) Magazines.
There are several varieties of magazines, including:
i. General Interest Magazine. This is also referred to as mass magazine. It concentrates on the activities of the masses. General interest publications provide more credible stories than fiction. The characteristic of such magazines is widespread circulation, particularly in diverse or varied societies.
ii. Specialised Magazine. This is intended for specialised persons, written in specialised language, and addressed to a specialised group of people. Specialised magazines include the Nigerian Medical Journal and the Pharmaceutical Journal, among others.
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