Abstract
This study was undertaken to examine to influence of ownership in radio new
coverage. Categories of media ownership in Nigeria are private owned and
government owned but, the researcher concentrated more on government owned
media since it is the researcher’s area of study. The point of the study is to
determine the influence of ownership in radio news coverage to determine if, the
news covered is owner’s interest or public’s interest oriented. A survey of the
selected broadcasting stations news coverage for a period of two weeks was
carried out with the use of questionnaires. The data obtained were used to obtain
the frequency for the study. The data was analyzed using the simple percentage
method and chi-square. This was used to obtain percentage prominence and
degree of freedom of news coverage the study. The result of the analysis revealed
that, radio news coverage is highly influenced by the owner’s (government) and
the news that is covered is owner’s interest oriented
1.1 Background of the study.
Mass media are very important tool of communication through which information
is passed to even the farthest end of the world. They enable us to communicate
with each other by helping us to overcome the barriers of time and space. They
perform both primary and secondary functions for the society.
Mass media function in various ways. First, mass media keep us well informed of
the happenings around us and of the world which will otherwise remain unknown.
The media also persuade us mostly through advertisements. As we can see
newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
Also, the mass media gives us entertainment. Television and radio broadcasting
provides us with a big variety of programs which both educates and entertain us.
The media systems that exist in a society are directly related to the political system
prevalent in that society. The political system determines the exact relationship
between the media and the government. The political system in place also
determines the relationship between the media and the people. It also determines to
what capacity the media will operate. The political system in a country also affects
the flow of information in the country in which it operates. It, for example, the
political system in place in a country is an authoritative one (i.e. Military rule)
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there will be no free flow of information as the media will be acting in fear of the
government and will cover the information that the government want the people to
be informed about and so the people if that country will continue to live in
ignorance of the activities of their government. But since Nigeria is a democratic
society, the researcher is going to talk about the role of the media is a democratic
society.
The role of the news media in a democratic society springs from the right of the
people to learn about matters of public concern.
Nigerians, as members of a democracy, claim a freedom to speak about the
workings of government, and entitlement to debate government conduct and a right
to demand that policy makers defend their decisions such things rely on access to
information. People can play a useful role in a democracy and hold their
government accountable only if informed well enough to do so. In this context, the
news media act as both a conduit and a watch dog. Free expression also encourages
a government to be answerable to its people. Indeed, because of advances in
Internet communications and the mass media, at no time in history have
governments been better able to answer directly to those who elect them. But there
are limits in the scope of information people have access to so, it is the job of the
news media and the journalists to pass on correct and concise information to the
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people so that they are kept abreast of the activities of their government and their
environment. This brings us to broadcast management and media owners.
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience
via radio, television, or other digital transmission media. Receiving parties may
include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof. It is imperative to
note that broadcasting organizations has various things it offers to its audience.
Those offerings of the organization are regarded as programs of the organization,
programs are artistic products packaged as tangible goods in an economic sense for
the consumption of audience of a broadcast channel in the medium (Owuamalam,
2002).
Radio news programs are designed for the ears because it is an audio oriented
medium. It is however regarded as an audio visual medium because the audience
can see the programs through their minds eye and be able to interpret it.
Broadcasting management is the organizing and control of the affairs of the
broadcasting organization. The control of a broadcast management or media house
influences the content of news that will be broadcast to the audience. Also the type
of government policy/policies that the management will implement.
Private ownership of media houses was not allowed until 1992 under the
Babangida administration, when due to mounting agitation and pressure he was
forced to establish National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) which successfully
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licensed private individual to participate in broadcasting. This brings us to the issue
of media ownership.
When US media pundit A. J. Liebling wrote that freedom of the press belongs to
those who own one, he summed up the emotion that separates the media business
from virtually any other enterprise. The press today, more generally, the mass
media stands not simply for the power to cover information but crucially for the
assumed ability to shape attitudes, opinions and beliefs. The media are the vehicles
for education and propaganda. Who controls these outlets and what the player’s
intentions are for their use have been a contentious issues at least since the 15th
century. When both church and state recognized the potential of the printing press
and immediately sought to control it.
Media ownership pattern has become central to the discussion on class media and
society because as Edeani (1985) pointed out.
“The nature of ownership of any press system determines to a great extent whether
that press is dynamic, vigorous, responsive and responsive press; or and
emasculated, timid, spineless, ineffectual or irresponsible press”.
However, we have three main categories of media ownership namely; Government
ownership
Private ownership
Mix ownership
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But the researcher will be constrained to government and private ownership of
media.
Government ownership implies that the medium completely financed by the
government e. NRCN (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) and NTA (Nigerian
Television Authority) etc. in government ownership; the government not only
finances the media house, but also encrypts policies for the media and helps in
implementing them. The government previews the news content and news
programs to see if they agree with their policies and what they (the government)
want. Also, any news that the government does not want to be made known to the
public and is in the news content, the government will erase out of the news
content.
Also the government further controls the media by their decision to invest or not to
invest. The government’s interest wilt be reflected in the appointment of competent
staff.
Private ownership on the other hand refers the situation where individuals (one
person or group of persons) establish, finance and direct the administration of a
media organization. Example of privately owned media houses or organization are
AlT (African Independent Television), MINAJ BROADCAST, SILVER BIRD etc.
whether a station is government or private owned, the key variable is listenership
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and viewership, what the audience wants should be balanced with what the
broadcast feel they should hear.
Influence on the other hand is both external and internal since there is nucleus of
interdependence or co-existence in the media organization. Shoemaker and Rees
(1991) said that there are many established groups we often influence the message
of broadcast and print media. This group ranges from proprietors influences,
leadership influence and house policy.
There is a common saying with regards to mass media control in Nigeria and
elsewhere which had become a cliché that “he who pays the piper dictates the
tune”. This means that owners of mass media organi2e, channel and control what
the media covers (reports) and broadcast and how they broadcast and how they
broadcast it.
ft is obviously true that mass media owners exert a threatening control over the
press, whether a mass media is managed by a board of directors appointed by
private owners or by a public
corporation established by the government. The media have policies set too by the
board. The policies define the short term and long term operations.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In Nigeria, most news covering are determined by the owners and gatekeepers of
the organization. These owners are those in the helm of affairs of the government,
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and like the ruling government, the gate keepers take orders from owners. Their
rank and file includes the management of radio stations and the various news
editors and news and program producers. The philosophy of any media operation
in Nigeria depends on the government in place. The problem in this study is
examine the impact of leadership decision on radio news coverage.
Secondly, how these decisions can serve publics interest. Thirdly, how to convince
the government to interfere less in running the affairs of the station to their own
interest instead of the publics interest.
The right news covering decision and programming can lead to success for the
radio station. Whatever the practice in Radio Nigeria (FRCN) federal Radio
corporation of Nigeria, the influence of leadership and gate keeping on programs
are still present and if is not handled well, it may greatly impair the success of any
program, so this is what the research is aimed at finding out.
It is hoped that answers arrived would help the researcher make some observation
and policy proposals that would help re-address the present problems of radio news
coverage in FRCN, if ever.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This research is up to achieve the following objectives:
1. To find out the influence of ownership or leadership on radio news coverage of
FRCN Enugu.
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2. To find out whether radio news covered (coverage) is people’s interest oriented
or owner’s interest oriented.
3. To ascertain the influence of gate keepers on radio news coverage.
To try to make suggestions in likely areas of recommendation and improvement.
1.4 Research Questions
The following questions if properly answered will achieve the aforementioned
objectives of the research.
1. To what extent do media influence news coverage?
2. To what extent is the pattern of news people interest oriented or owner’s interest
oriented.
3. To what extent does the gate keeper influence radio news coverage?
What are the suggested areas of recommendation and improvement?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
The hypothesis mentioned below will help the researcher carry out her research
more efficiently and will give her more focus and an agenda.
Ho: Ownership or leadership does not have any influence on radio news:
coverage.
H1: Ownership or leadership of a media house has influences on radio news
coverage.
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Ho: The news coverage of FRCN Enugu is not owner’s interest oriented instead
of people’s interest oriented.
H2: The news coverage of FRCN Enugu is owner’s interest oriented instead of
people’s interest oriented.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The choice of FRCN as opposed to radio stations is because of its significance in
Nigeria. Perhaps, as it has often been said to be the largest radio network in Africa,
besides this, it has been a relying point for people (listeners) to hear at prime
listening time. Much attention is paid to the news story on network period by
Nigerians.
FRCN is believed to have surpassed any other radio station in terms of its wider
reach. The ultimate significance of this study will lie with its final utility and its
ability to influence the on-going policies on how, where and what news to cover
for Nigeria(ns).
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
1. Influence: means the effect of the government’s ownership or leadership on
FRCN news coverage Enugu.
2. Media: the media are tools of communication FRCN as a mass medium tries see
how functions, whether it performs all the functions of a medium without intrusion
of bias because of its owners or leaders.
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3. Ownership: ownership means the legal right to possess something.
It is the ownership of a media house especially the ownership of the FRCN station
Enugu that manipulates the performance, news coverage and other programs of
FRCN.
4. News Coverage: this means sourcing for data, information (news) being
covered. Also, to find out if the news covered is people’s oriented or government
interest oriented