INFLUENCE OF PHOTOGRAPHS ON READERS OF THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER IN BENIN CITY,EDO STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
The Nigerian Observer is a daily newspaper published in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, since May 29, 1968. It is owned by the Edo state government. The effects of images on retention and attention have been debated since the invention of the camera in 1893. Shortly after its invention, the camera was proclaimed as a tool capable of depicting scientific data without subjective intervention, and it was regarded as “the most accurate mechanism for revealing the physical world, the lens of the camera being more accurate than the lens of a human eye” (Andersen, 1989).
Images used in news can “stir emotions and foster public outcry like no other means of expression,” it is widely understood and accepted (Zillman 2007). Images are a powerful way of easily expressing emotion in a language that everyone understands.
When the image of General Nguyen Ngoc Loan’s spontaneous execution of a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon was released to the American public, it elicited an emotional response from the nation, calling for the American government to change its practices and generating widespread antiwar sentiment.
Similarly to what happened in Vietnam, photographic images and film footage of Somalia’s poverty and governmental problems made their way into the American media. Images of severely malnourished, deformed, and handicapped children and adults in Somalia prompted the arrival of US government aid to the African country.
Images of murdered American soldiers being dragged through the streets while being spit on by Somalis filtered back to the US after a period of time in Somalia, which immediately changed the public’s opinion of the situation. This shift in opinion necessitated the immediate withdrawal of aid from the country. Photography allows people to see the world from many different and unusual perspectives that they may not have seen before (Mendelson, 2001).
Photography (and film) have shrunk the world, allowing people from all over the world to view other cultures, ideas, events, and practices without having to witness them firsthand. At the same time, the increasing use of imagery in news reporting and daily life has been dubbed a “picture flood.”
In this sense of imagery overload, a growing debate is centered on the question, “if images persist in memory longer and more vividly than text and verbalizations, all while exerting a stronger influence on perception and judgment, will they diminish the function of text and language entirely?” (Knobloch, 2003) As a result, this study focuses on the impact of photographs on readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper, with Oredo LGA in Benin City as a case study.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
A major issue that has plagued newspapers since their inception has been how to keep readers’ attention. The eye-catching explanatory effects of photographs in newspapers have been about their utility. Sometimes one wonders what would have happened to the readers if there had been no pictorial images to help translate or explain concepts and a given message. However, there has been speculation that those images are sometimes irrelevant because they make the newspapers too colorful and childish.
The importance of photography in news articles cannot be overstated. One of the benefits of photography in newspaper articles is that it improves reader comprehension; the absence of photographs prevents readers from getting a sense of what the article is about. Most readers do not have enough time to read news articles in depth, but the use of photography allows the reader to determine which articles are worth reading.
Readers prefer newspapers with photographs to those without because photography captivates and draws readers’ attention to the newspaper, increasing the number of readers who purchase the newspaper. As much as photographs entice readers to read the newspaper, the quality of the photographs is also critical.
The majority of newspaper photographs are blurry and unappealing. The need for high-quality, clear photographs must be prioritized by publishers. As a result of these issues, it is clear that there is a need to conduct a study on the impact of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian Observer newspaper.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
The overarching goal of this research is to investigate the impact of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian Observer newspaper. The following are the study’s specific objectives:
1. Determine whether or not high-quality photographs are frequently used in conjunction with articles in the Nigerian Observer newspaper.
2. Determine whether the photographs in the Nigerian Observer newspaper influence reader retention.
3. To determine whether news photographs influence readers’ purchases of the Nigerian Observer newspaper.
4. To determine whether photographs capture the attention of readers of the Nigerian Observer newspaper.
5. Determine whether readers prefer articles with photographs over articles without photographs.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
The following are the relevant research questions for this study:
1. Do high-quality photographs frequently accompany articles in the Nigerian Observer Newspaper?
2. Do the photographs in the Nigerian Observer newspaper influence reader retention?
3. Do news photographs influence readers’ purchases of the Nigerian Observer?
4. Do photographs pique the interest of readers of the Nigerian Observer newspaper?
5. Do readers prefer articles with photos over articles without photos?
1.5 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE
This study is relevant to newspaper publishers because it demonstrates the significance of high-quality photographs with newspaper articles. When reporting news for the newspaper, reporters should be required to provide high-quality photographs. This research will add to the body of literature by considering areas of the literature that have not yet been examined or considered and incorporating these factors into the current study. As a result, the study will serve as the foundation for future research in the field.
1.6 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE
The scope of this study is limited to the impact of photographs on readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper, with readers in Oredo LGA of Benin City serving as a case study.
1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS
Some of the major constraints encountered by the researchers in conducting this research included a lack of time, a lack of willingness to provide information by respondents, and a lack of resources.
1.8 TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Photograph: a photograph is a picture taken with a camera in which an image is focused on a light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment or digital storage.
A newspaper is a printed publication (usually published daily or weekly) that consists of folded unstapled sheets containing news, articles, advertisements, and correspondence.
Newspaper readers are people who read a specific newspaper or magazine on a regular basis.
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INFLUENCE OF PHOTOGRAPHS ON READERS OF THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER IN BENIN CITY,EDO STATE
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