REFLECTIONS OF MODERNIZATION IN THE NIGERIAN MEDIA
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REFLECTIONS OF MODERNIZATION IN THE NIGERIAN MEDIA
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background of the Study
Nigeria’s broadcasting business has evolved significantly since its humble beginnings in 1959. Attracting investments worth billions of naira. Today, the broadcast sector boasts a number of radio and television stations that provide a diverse range of programming to their audiences.
According to McQuail (2008:), it is an act of digitalisation that is extremely important to the computing of ideas since it allows information of all kinds, in all formats, to be conveyed with equal efficiency and combined. The modernisation of the media industry has had an impact on traditional mass media products.
However, these limits remain unknown. As technology progresses, mainstream media coverage will expand, reducing the necessity for traditional communication mediums. For example, the internet revolutionised many communication conventions, increasing efficiency for both individuals and enterprises. According to McQuail (2008), conventional media has also benefited enormously from the availability of new efficient resources.
The advancement of technology in general, as well as the increased usage of communication and information technology, has made it easier to foresee trends, define prospects, and detect potential risks and stumbling obstacles.
Modernisation in the broadcast sector is continually making breakthroughs that may help break down barriers between people and nations. That trend is undeniably irreversible. However, the repercussions that can now be predicted are not necessarily positive.
According to MacBride (1980), new technologies have ambiguous consequences because they increase the rigidity of current communication systems while exaggerating its flaws and dysfunctions.
He observed that by establishing increasingly powerful, homogeneous, and centralised networks, there is a risk of exacerbating the centralisation of public or institutional information sources, strengthening inequalities and imbalances, and increasing individuals’ and communities’ senses of irresponsibility and powerlessness.
The multiplication of radio broadcasting frequencies and channels made available by direct broadcast satellites could diversify objectives and audiences; however, by increasing competition, it may lead to content standardisation and, on a global scale, accentuate cultural dependence by increasing the use of imported programs.
Again, as distance becomes an increasingly irrelevant factor in transmission cost, particularly in the case of satellite transmission but also in broadband digital transmission via microwave, light conductors, and cables, inequalities between developed and developing countries may diminish but may be exacerbated as a result of the concentration of these resources in the hands of a minority.
The internet is a phenomenon that has existed and puzzled many who have long been involved in traditional mainstream media. A global network of computers that allows for the multimedia transmission of text, photos, graphics, audio, and video transcends all of the limitations of traditional media.
And, with its possibilities still expanding, it is difficult to forecast what the future ramifications will be for traditional forms of mass communication.
If Nigeria, with its vast population and abundant resources, had recognised its potential as Africa’s largest economy, its mass media capabilities would have grown concurrently. Leading Nigerian newspapers, TV media, and even the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) might have established pan-African, if not global, outlooks, utilising most of the modern technology available today to support such breadth and depth of coverage.
However, without the necessary economic development, the country will continue to fall behind as the mass media in the world’s more industrialised countries fully innovates with technological capabilities.
Radio is the mechanism by which messages are sent by electrical waves. The medium had had a significant impact on the lives of the people. Radio, for example, has a larger viewership than television for a significant period of the day due to its portability and accessibility. A radio is also one of the quickest ways to break or relate spot news.
Thus, the research aims to evaluate the effects of modernisation in highland FM Jos Plateau State.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
The radio, unlike television programming, operates on frequencies rather than channels. The most prominent of these is frequency modulation (FM), which is the fastest method for delivering news. Radio is a very effective medium for both general and specialised audiences, and it has had a significant impact on people’s lives.
Unfortunately, the use of analogue technology causes programmers and daily news reporting on many radio stations to consistently fall short of excellent standards. As a result, listeners face a lack of high-quality audio sound, signals, and efficient broadcasting.
However, the mass media, notably radio, had faced criticism in carrying out its tasks. It also comes as the country prepares to achieve the worldwide digitisation deadline of 2015.
This study will explore the reflections of modernisation in Nigerian media, namely highland FM in Jos, Plateau State.
1.2 Aims and Objectives
This study aims to analyse the level of reflection and usage of current equipment in highland FM Jos, given that radio has remained a powerful medium in society. Given the foregoing, this study tends to:
i. Identify the locations where current equipment is available in the FM station.
ii. Investigate the frequent usage of modernism by staff at Highland FM Jos.
iii. Determine the availability and pricing of this new equipment at the radio station.
iii. Determine whether the reflection of modernisation has negatively influenced Nigerian culture.
v. Determine the difficulties that employees are encountering when using modern technology.
vi. Evaluate the frequency and timeliness of development programmes that affect our standards and values.
vii. Make suitable recommendations based on the results of the investigation.
1.3 Significance of the Study
The study is essential because it serves as a litmus test for determining the effectiveness of using new devices or digital technology in the growth of mass media in Nigeria.
It will also provide useful literature for mass communication students and practitioners.
Above all, this study will demonstrate the significance and efficacy of the paradigm transition from analogue to digital age in enhancing Nigeria’s broadcast business.
1.4 Scope of the Study
The study’s scope is to represent modernisation in Nigerian media, however it is limited to highland FM Jos, plateau State.
This study will focus on this FM radio station to analyse the impact of modernisation.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS.
This study will seek to answer the following questions.
I. Where is current equipment offered in the FM station?
ii. To what extent can journalists deal with modern technology?
iii. Will the switch to digitalisation benefit the station’s transmission and news reports?
iv. What are the problems that Highland FM’s crew confront while working with modern equipment?
1.6 Theoretical Framework
Theory refers to general assertions that summarise our understanding of how the world works.
A theory, according to Severin and Tankard (1982), “is a set of ideas of systematic generalisations based on scientific observation and leading to further empirical observation”.
The DIFFUSION AND TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINATION THEORY, as well as the MODERNISATION THEORY, are appropriate for this study since they give a framework within which this investigation can be conducted.
Everret Rogers first proposed the diffusion and technical determination theory in 1986. The theory’s arguments include employing communication to convey technological advancements from development organisations to their clients in order to build an appetite for change by instilling a sense of modernisation in the general population.
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