Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
Information dissemination is a vital
tool for awareness creation and development in every human society,
whether such a society is traditional or modern in nature. Information
is usually disseminated to the members of the public who are considered
as the target audience in form of news broadcasting, which is made
possible by different media organizations comprising of print and
electronic media.
News broadcasting, as a medium of
information dissemination is made possible, through active involvement
of news writers and reporters who play major roles in different
perspectives depending on the type of event to be reported at that point
in time. Reporters ensure that they adopt and apply effective
reportorial techniques to make their report accurate, unbiased and
timely to meet the expectations of the members of the public who are the
target reading audience.
This research will focus on the
impact of reportorial techniques on the reading audience. This area of
study is of interest to me because of my desire to determine the
media-audience relationship by understanding the feelings, impression
and perception, of members of the public who are considered to be the
reading audience.
Generally, reporting is
saddled with the responsibility of informing, educating and updating the
members of the public who are the target reading audience, about news
and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. Reports
are classified in different categories based on the situation and event
to be reported on. The types of reports include: science and technology
reports, political reports, police and crime reports, accident and
disaster reports, environment reports etc.
Reporters make effective use of
different reportorial techniques in order to report appropriately, based
on the categories mentioned above and this eventually leads to
specialization in such area of reporting. For reporters to specialize
in specific area of reporting, there must meet one or two requirements,
and as well comply strictly to the reportorial techniques of such type
of report.
The duty of the reporter through the
guidance of basic reportorial techniques, is to report the news for
newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio. Reporters, spend
a lot of time in the field, conducting interviews and investigating
stories to enable them present a finished information for the
consumption of the reading audience. The work of reporters is often fast
paced, with constant demands to meet deadlines and to be the first
reporter to publish a news story on a particular subject in other to
satisfy the expectations of their target reading audience.
In his opinion, Rogers,(2001)
observed that, for success to be achieved by meeting this huge
responsibility that confronts the reporter, there is need for reporters
to identify and adopt effective reportorial techniques in other to
impact tremendously on the reading audience based on the category of
report. The way people receive and learn about news varies based on
many factors depending on the type of news, who is presenting the news
and how such a reporter present the news . It depends on what they find
most easily accessible and what they have access to.
Rogers, (2001), further
identified effective reportorial techniques as basic methods that
enables a reporter to be more effective and thorough in reporting such
methods include; getting detail information relevant to the story,
double-checking to ensure accuracy, avoidance of biasness on
controversial subject or the subject of a dispute. Robinson, (2011),
further highlighted the following; truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity,
impartiality, fairness and public accountability as standards,
reporters should apply to the acquisition of newsworthy information and
its subsequent dissemination to the public. In this study, the
researcher, intends to investigate techniques of reporting and the
effect it would have on the reading audience.
1.2 Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to
determine the impact of reportorial techniques on the reading audience.
This study will also identify the basic users of reportorial techniques
in different types of reporting.
This research will also indicate how reportorial techniques will enhance the quality and understanding of reports.
1.3 The scope of the study
The study focuses on the impact of
reportorial techniques on reading audience of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting
Corporation (AKBC) Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. This media organization is
chosen because of ease in accessibility and also being an organization
with a wider coverage of so many viewers with information seeking mind.
1.4 Significance of the study
This study will be of value to the print
and electronic media organizations both public and private. It will
help them to determine the media-audience relationship. This
measurement can be achieved by understanding the impact of reportorial
techniques on reading audience in Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation
(AKBC) Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.. The study will also arouse both states and
Federal government interest to see the need in providing adequate
resources to media organizations and also speed up the process of
information dissemination concerning government policies and programmes.
The study will also provide a platform for management of media
organizations to direct resources appropriately in order to minimize
poor reporting of information due to challenges of resources. The study
can also be useful to researchers for further studies.
1.5 Research design and methodology
This research is library-based and
explores extensively resources such as textbooks, journals, critical
reviews and the internet. The researcher will also source for vital
information from media houses as well as members of the general public.
1.6 Limitation of the study
The study is limited to media
practitioners in the news room of AKBC, Uyo. the study will not include
other reporters from else were in Nigeria due to lack of funds.
1.7 Definition of terms
For the purpose of clarity, the following terms which are used in the course of this research are hereby defined;
1.7.1 Audience: is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature in which they are called readers, theatre, music in which they are called listeners(wilkipedia online dictionary).
1.7.2 Reportorial: an adjective pertaining to a reporter (dictionary.Com) 1.7.2 Technique: is a procedure to complete a task (wilkipedia online dictionary).
1.7.3 Report: is any
finding in the form of writing, speech, television, or film made with
specific intention of relaying information or recounting certain events
in a widely presentable form (dictionary.Com).
1.7.4 Reading: It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas (dictionary.Com).