CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The world information flow controversy is perhaps the most
topical issue in international communities today. This global controversy is
basically about the demand by the south for a change in the present pattern of
information flow between it and the north. The south also knows that the third
world or under developed or developing countries of the world contends that
there is gross unbalance both in quality and quantity, in global information
flow between the south and the north, also known as the first world countries
of the world.
This unbalance according to the south has placed it at the receiving end as
developing countries are daily bombarded with information and other media
materials which do not meet their development needs and more importantly tend
to debase their culture and portray them as inferior in the eyes of all.
Supporting this assertion, Okunna (1993:92) say, a lot of research evidence has
been gathered over the year to demonstrate the unbalance in the quality and
particularly, quantity of global mass communication. This unbalance with the
attendant dangers of culture domination through mass communication in at the root
of protracted demand for a new world information and communication.
The north on its own part argues that the flow of information should be free
and unrestricted quoting the 1940 united Nation (UN) declaration on the freedom
of information as the basis of her arguments.
According to the UN declaration of 1946, all state should proclaim policies
under which the free flow of information within countries and across national
boundaries could be protected. This free flow of information itself could be on
offshoot from the liberation press theory of value of free information.
Although third world countries accept the freedom of their citizens to receive
and disseminate information they argue that such information freedom be checked
in the interest of their sovereignty
The south therefore rejects free flow of information in which there is an
overwhelming amount of information flowing from a small number of
industrialized countries into the numerous countries of the developing world.
This rejection is partly rooted in the negative effects or consequences of this
type of flow on cultures of the third world countries cultural
imperialism or synchronization could be a resultant effect of the
unhindered and unbalance global information flow.
Supporting the south’s line of argument, Opubor (1986:4) says, it is a very
difficult state of affair indeed that a small group of people concentrated in
four countries can arrogate onto themselves and preempt the management of our
image of the world through controlling what is called news. Expressing similar
views, Uche (1996:4) states, the western media’s on sought against Africa and
the third world has continued to better and dent the image of the people of the
southern hemisphere who are protracted as lesser beings. The demand for a new
world information and communication order (NWICO) which Nigeria subscribes to
is therefore borne out of the design to change the present pattern of the world
information flow and also free her citizens from being passive receivers of
distorted and biased information.
Historically, the new world information and communication
orders debate has its root in the 1976 UN declaration on freedom of
information. The disagreement stated in 1948 when Russia and her Allies opposed
the idea of freedom of information at the Genva convention.
The debate gathered momentum in the 1960’s and 1990’s the
United National Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO)
involvement began precisely in 1970 when the issue was first tabled at its
general conference. Two years later, the majority of its delayed resolved that
there was potential danger of global news flow unbalance.
In 1974, the UNESCO conference approved a declaration on the new international
economic order (NIEO) several other efforts were made before UNESCO in 1977
appointed a committee of communication experts headed by an Irish diplomat, San
Macbrige to study the world communication problems and make recommendations.
The Macbrige report was submitted in 1980. The report stated in no uncertain
terms that there is unbalance domination is a reality of this unbalanced
(Okenna, 1993:94) this did not go down well with some western countries.
However the UNESCO chairman then Senegalese Amadon Mahtar M’Bow defended it
stoutly, arguing that freedom of information in one directions freedom and
liberty are not the monopolies of any group.
The argument however did not impress the west, as United States of America
(USA) pulled out of UNESCO, in 1985 Britain and Singapore followed suit,
maintaining that NWICO declaration was an endemic hostility towards the
institution of free press, free market and above all individuals human rights.
UNESCO, however remains unmoved and insisted that NWICO will bring about “more
justice, more equity reciprocity information exchange, less dependence in
commutation flow less downwards diffusion of message, more self reliance and
cultural identity, more benefit for all mankind” because of the complex nature
of this debate and the opposing stand of the different ideologies involvement
the debate has consumed many man hours and according to Juan Somavia, “This
might lead to the wars major conflict among nations after the world wars.
2.2 THE CONCEPT OF TV AS A MASS MEDIA
Asemah (2009:37) asserted that the mass media
are technological devices used for conveying messages from a source to a large
destination. The Mass media is basically classified into two; the print and the
electronic media. The print media makes use of printed words and publications.
The electronic media otherwise known as broadcast media makes use of
electromagnetic signal in the transmission of messages to the target audience
members.
Ofor
(2004, p.1) obviously concurred to this when he noted that:
The print medium makes use of
printed works and pictures as in the case of newspapers, news magazines, books
and all printed literatures that are journalistic in nature, the electronic
medium makes use of visual and motion pictorials messages that are aired on
radio and television..
The broadcast media therefore includes
radio, television, cinemas, and internet. They transmit messages through
electronic impulses. Lending credence to this, Udeaja (2004, 3) stated
thus: Broadcasting is a transmission of
audio and visual signal to a mass audience through electronic rays. To
broadcast is to send out sound and pictures by means of radio waves through
space for general public to receive. It is manifest in the use of radio and
television set. Both radio and television are each a mass medium. Whereas,
newspapers, magazines, journals, and news bulletins stands for the other parts
of the mass media, categorized broadly as the print media. Broadcasting belongs
to the electronic spectrum.
It therefore stirs no surprise that
media messages are relayed to target audience members through audio signal (in
the case of radio) and audio-visual in the case of television, it is suggestive that the audio-visual
characteristics of TV has arguably made it most popular mass medium; singing this
tune, Nworgu (2010, p. 18) noted thus:
Advertising shifted patronage
greatly from the newspapers, magazines to television, where product
demonstration where greatly encouraged and enhanced. TV has eventually made the
audience lazy and has even allowed them to become addicted to all sorts of TV
programmes, ranging from soap operas to reality shows. Therefore, some of the
attributes of TV that have it stand the test of time includes the ability to
match pictures and sounds in one presentation… TV programmes and viewership has
helped in the actualization of the concept of global villages.
Suffice it therefore to argue that the
most Nigerian students have become heavy viewers of TV programmes. They expose
themselves more to TV programmes. All they are perhaps interested in is the
derivable benefits from such programmes. It is therefore suggestive that TV
programmes that offers little or nothing of benefits to viewers in the case of
students.
It
premise in this, that Konkwo (1990, p.303) noted thus: The assumption that the
reception of the content of mass media massage takes place in anticipation of
some “reward” forms the basis of the concept of the “uses and gratifications
approach”.
The students are therefore active and
decide which TV programme to watch and which not watch in view of the benefit
they intend to derive from such TV program. Every TV station that transmit for
foreign programmes therefore, must ensure that such programmes have something
of benefit to offer to the viewers bearing in mind the differences in cultural
orientation. Uwakwe (2003, p.242) also noted this when he stated that:
The importance of mass
communication is active, directional and goal oriented. The media can provide
gratification. The audience chose freely alternative media in meeting set goals
or satisfying needs, and alternative media compete with others that can provide
similar gratification.
Deriving from the above, it is pertinent to
state that UNN students by virtue of their academic orientation and
inclination are critical. They do not swallow issues/ideas hook, line and
sinker but analyzes same within the context of their environmental realities,
orientations and expectation.
Both local and foreign programmes therefore
need to convincingly and persuasively package if they must influence the
behavioural pattern of such students. Interestingly, the students are at
liberty to engage the selective processes to determine which programmes and the
characteristics competition between and among media practitioners.
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