Assessment Of The Role Of The Media In Anti-Corruption Campaign

Description

 

ABSTRACT

This work is designed to examine the assessment of the role of the mass media in anti corruption campaign.  It is organized into five very instructive chapters.

Chapter one deals with the background statement of the problem, research questions and hypothesis, assumptions and limitations of the study among other things.  Chapter two is devoted to the review of relevant materials in the area of study chapter three contains the methodology, while chapter four concentrates on data analyses and the results of the findings.  And chapter five give a brief summary of the work.

Through these chapters, the objectives of the study was in that the researcher not only found that the mass media are indispensable, but they are also powerful in their influence.

LIST OF TABLE

Table

1. Respondents Accessibility to the media
2. Numbers of respondents having knowledge of the “ICPC”

• Source of knowledge of the “ICPC”

1. Percentage accessibility to various media
2. Respondents response to effect of the media
3. Respondents assessment of the role of the media

• Assessment of the media

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page ………………………………………………………….   i

Approval page……………………………………………………..   ii

Dedication………………………………………………………….   Iii

Acknowledgment …………………………………………………….        Iv

Abstract …………………………………………………………….. .v

List of tables …………………………………………………………         vi

Table of contents……………………………………………………..       vii

CHAPTER ONE

• Introduction

1.1    Background of the study

• Statement of the research problem
• Objectives of the study
• Significance of the study
• Research question
• Research hypothesis
• Definition of terms
• Assumptions
• Limitation of the study

CHAPTER TWO

• Review of the literature

2.1    Sources of literature

• The review
• Summary of literature review

CHAPTER THREE

• Methodology

3.1    Research method

• Research design
• Research sample
• Measuring instrument
• Data collection.
• Data analysis method
• Expected results

CHAPTER FOUR

• Data analyses and results

4.1    Data analysis

• Results
• Discussion

CHAPTER FIVE

• Summary and recommendations for further study

5.1    Summary

• Recommendations for further study

Bibliography/references

Appendix

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Nigeria has become a country playing host to the victory of wrong over right, falsehood over truth, and supremacy of personal irresponsibility over fundamental values.  It is a country perpetuating a polity that fails to value human life and cherish human beings above materials possession, power and pleasure.  It is a place where men and women of honour, experience, credibility and self consciousness have been cut in their prime for dealing to talk.  It is a place where leaders are not protected by the power that be and where leaders are not determined by the citizens votes.  With out doubt, Nigeria is a breeding ground of corruption.

For a Nigerian, it is quite disheartening to note that to a foreigner, the more mention of Nigeria conjures up the thought of corruption, or is it that corruption reminds them of Nigeria.  Which ever angle one looks at, the simple point is that Nigeria has become almost interchangeable with the vicious word “corruption”.

However, as one person noted, nothing is so bad that something good cannot come from it.  The truth of those words can be seen in the activities of some honest, conscientious and positive goal oriented individual as well as corporate bodies who are bent on redeeming the tainted image of Nigeria.  The government on its past set up a corruption checking commission to help in priming down irregularities in government and public offices.  And with the aid of the mass media of communication the proceeding and goings on are being carried wide for the participation of the entire citizenry.

Yes, the mass media are brought into focus because of this indispensable part they play or are meant to play.  The mass media which include basically the Television, Radio, Newspaper, Magazine and internet are the means through which information are disseminated and communication is done with a wide anonymous, heterogeneous and diversified individuals and groups simultaneously.  Because of this far reaching ability, journalists are expected now and then to use them in promoting national unity and development in economic, social political and educational spheres.  They have also been found to be very effective in influencing peoples opinions and ideas on government activities.  Thus the mass media have been employed in propagating programmes that are geared toward righting the wrongs in a given society.

Nevertheless, in a country like ones where the government put so much emphasis in the fight against corruption but with nothing to show for it such that the globally respected “Transparency International” has consistently rated Nigeria either as the most corrupt country what are the media doing in the campaign against in anti-corruption campaign?

This work is to asses the role of the media in this regard.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There is much corruption in Nigeria. Especially is the disheartening when one notices that they are perpetuated by the people in government, who almost are seen as sacred cows-the untouchable.  But in recent times, the government has indicated interest in the fight against corruption, thus setting up the “Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)” and the “Independent corruption Practices and other Related offence commission (ICPC)”. Other bodies also exist that fight corruption in public as well as in private quarters.

With this state of affairs, the mass media are called into play because they are the only medium which the proceedings of these anti-corruption bodies can be disseminated.  Additionally the mass media on their own have the responsibility of society servicing.  Thus are the  mass media playing their role well?

To find that out, we are set to asses the role of the mass media in this area.

1.3    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This research work is meant to asses the role the media play in the anti-corruption campaigns.  The objective in the process is to examine the activities of the Nigerian media, whether print or broadcast, to find out how they enlighten the masses in the light of the widespread corruption in Nigeria.  Whether the media are living up to expectation will be assessed through the opinions of the media consumers.

1.4    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be of immense importance to both the Nigerian media and the masses who are of course the media consumers.  The media are conventionally said to be the watch jog of the society who not only entertain, but enlighten and inform on what is happening near and far.

The media would hardly be informing and enlightening the pubic: if they don’t cover, report and even broadcast daily happenings; if they do not examine and investigate irregularities and report findings; if they don’t create avenue for the public to contribute their own opinion as part of corporate citizenship, thus helping everybody to feel  part and parcel of society development.

To that end, the findings of this work will reveal whether the media have been living up to expectation in the area of anti corruption campaigns.  If at the end, the opinions of people revealed that the media have not been measuring up, it then requires that the next study be on how to make the media live up to their roles.

1.5    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the composition of the media
2. What is the nature of their role in anti corruption campaign

• How can the role of the media in anti-corruption campaigns be assessed.

1. What effects do their role have on the media consumers.

1.6    RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

(Ha₁)           Media assessment is directly dependent on the level of exposure to the media.

(Ho₁)           Media assessment is not directly dependent on the level of exposure to the media

(Ho₂)          The media are playing an indispensable role in the fight

against corruption.

(Ho₂)           The media are not playing an indispensable role in the

fight against corruption.

(Ho₃)           The media have a powerful effect on the out look of the

media consumers towards corruption

(Ho₃)           The media do not have a powerful effect on the outlook of

the media consumers towards corruption.

1.7    DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. MEDIA (CONCEPTUAL): Media is the plusal form of media.  Media means, that by which something is expressed.

MEDIA (OPERATIONAL)     It is the same as mass media.  The mass media are the modern channels of mass communication used to disseminate news, and information to very diverse cum large numbers of people simultaneously (Ukozor 2003).  They are the electronic media (Radio television and films), and print media (Newspaper magazines and books).

1. ii. ASSESSMENT (CONCEPTUAL): This means the amount assessed.  To asses means to decide or fix the value of something.

iii.      CAMPAIGN (CONNECTIONAL):  Series of planned activities to gain a special object.

CAMPAIGN (OPERATIONAL):     Series of media activities geared toward achieving a particular goal or publicity.  It can be in form of programme whether in broadcast or in print.

 

1.8    ASSUMPTIONS

It is assumed that to actually generate valid data for this study, interest has to be focused only to those who utilize the media.  The fact is that, it is only the mass media consumers that can authentically say what the media do or do not feature.

Again, it is proper that such media consumers be mature enough as to their power of understanding so as to make good meaning form the media contents as well as contributing meaningfully in the programmes.

Therefore, opinions are sought regarding media anti corruption contents from only the mature media consumers.

 

1.9    LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY  

A number of difficulties worked as constraints against the researcher in the process of this research work.  The major ones are:

1. Time constraint
2. Financial constraints and the

• Inability to collect back all the questionnaire from the respondents.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter is designed to cover, the sources of literature, the review of literature and the summary of the reviewed literature as it related to the problem on hand.

2.1    SOURCES OF LITERATURE

In the process of the work, the researcher sought for information from both primary and secondary sources the researcher interviewed and interacted with practicing journalists in the area of media role in the fight against corruption.  The researcher in addition was able to go through, relevant journals and periodicals, books in communication as well as made extensive study of magazines and newspapers.

2.2    THE REVIEW

The media performance in discouraging corruption is very crucial for every given society.  Even though this role is not explicitly written, it is implicitly written within the three basic foundational functions of the media noted by William L. Rivers et al (1965).

To better appreciate the role of the media in the cases of corruption, one has to appreciate the role they play in communication which is the main channel.  Imagine what would happen if all of a sudden, the mass media ceased.  How would we find out government policies and what members of the parliament are deliberating on? How would the government have an idea of how people respond to its programmes? How do we know the result of elections? Examining these questions will reveal to us the extent of our dependence our the media, and silently the nature of their