1.3 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
There is no doubt that western
television programmes have offered a lot of meaning and purpose to the social
lives of Nigerian students. Some students see them as a way to shake up and
release tensions. Some others value their entertainment functions and some see
them as a way to keep in touch with the so called latest fashion trend. Whichever way the youths perceive western
television programmes, is an indication of their bias against local programmes.
Such bias is an indication of their disorientation to cultural orientation and
values. It is generally assumed in many quarters that there are gross
violations of moral issues and misrepresentation of Africa by western
television. The question still remains that why do the Western media seem to
always represent Africa in a negative manner? The defense to this problem seems
to lie in this view expressed by McBride
…the life of many millions of
people especially in developing countries (like those in Africa) is still one
of the hard and wasteful toil and of rudimentary subsistence-precisely as
though these immense resources did not exist. Whether the resources of
communication will indeed be mobilized for human depend on decisions now due to
be taken. It depends also, on who will take this decision from, what motives,
in whose interest. Each society has to make its own choice and find a way of
overcoming the material, social and political constraints that impede progress.
(McBride, 1981:13)
The problem is, will this trend of bias
and negative portrayal of Africa (sub Saharan Africa) using communication mobilize sustainable development for the
human benefit of the people of the developing countries( especially sub Saharan
Africa), and will the motive their cause of action justifiable? The question
this research seeks to answer therefore is: what is the perception of
University of Nigeria Nsukka students on western television programmes?
1.4 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
Africa have been seen by Western media
over the years as being synonymous to a continent of danger, darkness, disease,
violence, poverty, and hopelessness. This study is therefore seeking the
opinions of Nigerian students using University of Nigeria Nsukka as a case study on the
following:
1
To find out how students of University
of Nigeria Nsukka perceive Western television programmes
2
To find out why they watch Western media
programmes.
3
To determine if Western media content
has any influence on their social lives.
1.5 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
What image does Western cable television
programmes evoke in the minds of students?
2.
What perception do students of University
of Nigeria Nsukka have about Western cable television Programmes?
3.
Do Western television programmes have
any influence on the social lives of University
of Nigeria Nsukka student?
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
research is significant in various aspects:
1. It
will enable television stations to know how often University
of Nigeria Nsukka students
watch Western television programmes.
2. It
will help local television stations know the reasons why University
of Nigeria Nsukka students watch Western television programmes.
3. The
study will determine if such Western television programmes have an influence on
their lives.
4. It
will communicate to scholars on the reportage of Africa by Western media.
1.7 THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
This study
is anchored on the Agenda –Setting theory propounded by Maxwell McCombs and
Donald Shaw in 1972. Anyadike (2009:37) opined that “the basic principle in the
agenda set ting theory is the ability of the mass media to restructure the
audience thinking and perception of events”
The
implication of the above quotation is that the media through its news selection
establish not only issues of public importance, but also determine the level of
relevance attached to a given issue. This, no doubt, is one of the role of the
media, to bring to the attention of the public issues that are of tremendous
importance, thereby eliciting some degree of sympathy or empathy from the
masses or appealing to their intellect in order to win favourable advantage in
their mind concerning topical issues.
READ ALSO PART 1: Mass Comm Project: Students Perception of Western Television Programmes
1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Part TWO
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