NEWSPAPER READERSHIP PATTERN AMONG TRADERS IN MAJOR MARKETS IN UYO METROPOLIS
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NEWSPAPER READERSHIP PATTERN AMONG TRADERS IN MAJOR MARKETS IN UYO METROPOLIS
ABSTRACT
This study looked at the newspaper readership patterns of vendors in main markets in Uyo city. The study’s objectives were to determine the frequency of newspaper readership among traders in Uyo markets;
to determine the extent to which traders engage in newspaper readership in Uyo metropolis; to investigate what is of interest in newspapers to traders in Uyo metropolis;
to determine the influence of newspaper readership on the success of businessmen and women; and to determine the uses and gratification of newspapers among traders in Uyo markets.
It used a survey research technique. The study population was 413,381 residents of Uyo metropolitan, and the researcher purposefully chose a sample size of 384 to produce data for the study. However, a total of 364 questionnaires were distributed because 5% of them were void.
The acquired data was examined using a frequency distribution table and basic percentage analysis. The study’s findings are that the traders in the markets read newspapers, but it is not a daily routine, rather their readership spans monthly, that the extent of newspaper readership among the traders in the market is done rarely and is not carried out daily
that what is of interest to the traders when reading newspapers is the business ideas and business opportunities that they can get, and also to keep abreast of the current political issues trending in the sta As a result, it was suggested that traders make it a habit to read newspapers every day in order to stay up to date on current events.
Information is the lifeblood of society; traders in the market should be interested not only in business news, but also in news that can better their lives. The government should raise awareness and educate traders on the need of embracing a reading culture and looking beyond business.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Newspapers are well-known for providing current information for the enjoyment of the vast majority of readers of all ages and backgrounds.
Newspapers, as an important print medium of mass communication, provide readers with the most up-to-date analysis, discussion, and criticisms of sociopolitical, economic, and health issues, as well as information, education, and entertainment.
The newspaper is, without a question, one of the most extensively read and accessible magazines published on a daily basis, in both print and internet formats. Newspapers, as a mass media, can provide education, information, enjoyment, relaxation, and entertainment.
This explains why Ola and Ojo (2007) believe newspapers are crucial because they provide current information and keep readers informed of events and activities both within and outside their immediate surroundings.
A newspaper is significant because it provides a source of current information or news. According to Ate & Ikerodah (2012), a newspaper is a periodic publication that might be daily, biweekly, weekly, fortnightly, and so on, and it is typically not bound. Newspapers, unlike books and magazines, can only be folded.
The newspaper is a periodic publication that represents current events in society. It is described as a folded sheet of paper that is created at regular intervals.
The Nigerian Newspaper Act (NNA) defines a newspaper as any paper that contains public news, information, or the occurrence of any remarks, observations, or comments, printed for sale and published in Nigeria on a regular basis (Asemah, 2009; Ikechukwu, 2015).
Newspapers perform a variety of functions for different types of users. Ogbiten (2007) described five different meanings of newspaper reading for different people: respite or recreation (using it to unwind from stress or tension reliever), public affairs (using it to develop public opinions), information (using it for pleasure or to find out about pleasurable activities), and socialisation (using it to feel connected to others outside the family block in a broader society).
It can also be viewed as textbooks that provide up-to-date information on local, state, national, and international affairs, the most recent analysis and critique of administrative and legislative choices, the newest in music, theatre, and fine art, and comics articles that make the reader chuckle.
Obaid (2013) stated that newspapers are the most accessible written texts to the greatest number of people of all ages, literate and illiterate, traders and labourers, elite and peasants.
The way people or readers assemble to discuss newspaper material unavoidably fosters critical thinking, information retention, issue solving, and information source questioning.
Reading is the foundation of all literacy programmes. It is one of humanity’s earliest traditions. Reading has been a passion of the finest people of all time. African society has been described as an oral society or one without a reading culture (Mulinda, 2001).
While presenting a report on the promotion of reading habits in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) libraries, it was highlighted that Africans are a chattering society rather than a reading one.
He noted that traditional educators were excellent storytellers, telling stories aloud and accompanying them with dramatisation and demonstrations.
According to Babbie (2013), reading is the ability to recognise and understand characters that have been printed or written on paper. Reading, therefore, is the ability to extract meaning from words printed on paper. According to Agba (2002), reading provides humans with the tools they need to transmit knowledge to future generations.
It has been pointed out that the majority of people in Sub-Saharan Africa have limited access to books and other learning tools, making it difficult to build a reading culture. (Makenzi, 2004). Reading allows for a deeper knowledge of one’s own experiences and can be an exhilarating journey of self-discovery.
Anaeto & Aneato (2010). Reading improves one’s quality of life and provides access to culture and heritage. Many other researchers in African countries, including Nigeria, share the worry about the lack of a reading culture.
In this context, the study attempted to explore newspaper readership patterns among traders in key markets in Uyo metropolitan.
1.2 Statement of Problem
As a businessperson, you must understand the nature of fluctuating prices, new policies affecting your industry, and investment opportunities, all of which frequently appear in important columns in newspapers.
However, it appears that traders pay little or no attention to reading newspapers, despite the fact that knowledge plays an important role in helping businesses develop.
One then wonders about the trend of newspaper readership among traders in Uyo’s markets. In other words, what is the trend of newspaper readership among businesspeople in Uyo metropolis?
1.3. Objectives of the Study
The study’s aims were:
The study aims to determine the frequency and extent of newspaper readership among traders in Uyo marketplaces, as well as the topics of interest in newspapers.
The study aims to investigate the impact of newspaper readership on company success, as well as identify the benefits and uses of newspapers among traders in Uyo market.
1.4. Research questions.
The following were the research questions used to steer the research:
What is the frequency of newspaper reading among merchants in Uyo markets?
To what extent do businessmen in Uyo metropolitan read newspapers?
What is the appeal of newspapers to traders in the Uyo metropolis?
How does newspaper readership effect the success of businessmen and women?
What are the purposes and benefits of newspapers among traders in Uyo metropolis?
1.5. Significance of the Study
Since its inception in 1605, newspapers have thrived in the face of competition from radio, television, and internet services.
The study’s findings would help newspaper publishers understand the value of newspaper readership among businessmen in Uyo city.
Second, the outcomes of this study will assist publishers in determining how user friendly their medium is in performing the conventional tasks of mass media, which include entertaining, educating, and informing.
Third, students and lecturers in mass communication will benefit from this research in their newspaper production classes, as well as extend their understanding of the importance of their participation in assisting the newspaper medium.
Finally, the research findings will contribute to the corpus of knowledge in mass communication.
1.6. Limitations of the Study
The investigation was limited to the major markets in Uyo city. However, the survey did not cover other markets in Akwa Ibom state, nor did it take into account the patterns of newspaper readership among other members of society, including as students, teachers, doctors, attorneys, civil workers, and so on. The study only looked at local periodicals since market traders are largely interested with what happens within their state.
1.7. Limitations of the Study
The following difficulties were observed throughout the research: a language barrier, which required the researcher to hire an interpreter, and a refusal to give information (secrecy), which resulted in the researcher taking a surreptitious approach.
Another issue was that some respondents were too busy to answer the researcher’s questions since they were engaging in transaction operations. In this circumstance, the researcher had to be very patient.
1.8. Operational definitions of terms
A newspaper is a serial periodical that publishes news on current events of special general interest on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis in Uyo city.
Readership: The act of reading, or the amount or group of people who read a specific newspaper in main markets around Uyo city.
Traders: A group of people in main markets in the Uyo city who buy and sell various types of items.
Metropolis is the capital city of Akwa Ibom state.
Market: A regular gathering of people in Uyo’s largest marketplaces to buy and sell provisions, cattle, and other goods.
Frequency: The rate at which newspapers are read by traders in main markets in the Uyo metropolitan over a certain time period or sample.
Extent: The level of newspaper readership among traders in key markets in Uyo city.
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