CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
It is arguable that Marshal McLuhan had information
communication technology (ICT) in mind several decades ago when he coined the
phrase “global village” to prophesy that the electronic communicatiown would
unite the world. But certainly, that prophecy is today, a reality as the
internet in particular, and the ICT in general, have almost literally and
spatially turned the world into one small village (Oketunmbi, 2005).
Marcelle (2000) views ICTs as applications and services used
for the production, distribution, processing, and transformation of information
with the aid of ICT tools. Ogunsola and Aboyade (2005) are of the opinion that
ICT came into being as a result of related technologies clearly stated by their
functional usage in information access and communication which is centralized
through the Internet.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a form of
technology that is used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange
information. This includes technologies like radio, television, video, DVD,
telephone (both fixed line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer and
network hardware and software; as well as the equipment and services associated
with these technologies, such as videoconferencing and electronic mail (Wikispaces,
2014).
Joseph (2003) observed that “the internet has
revolutionalized the computer and communication world like nothing before”. He
further added that “the internet has a worldwide broadcasting capability, a
mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and
interaction between individuals and their computers without regards for
geographical location”.
The Internet is often called a network of networks
(Plucauskas, 1994). Satellites and computers are changing news gathering,
production and delivery processes. While the technical revolution deals with
advances in production, the philosophical aspect deals with content and
packaging (Whitney, 1985). Internet provides a vehicle or networks of all kinds
and individual stand-alone computers to intertwine to form a global network,
which connects people all over the world (Aina, 2008).
Shephard and Edelmann (2005) defined Internet as a worldwide
collection of computer networks that share digital information through a common
set of networking and software protocols. Zack (2009) stressed that the
internet has it all. There is more available information on computers and other
ICTs than one could ever possibly think of. He explains that by using the
search engines, you can even learn about the internet itself or about a piece
of ICTs equipment.
Mueller
(2012) stressed that your website is your online property, your digital store
front, and also helps you build a strong online presence as well as your
primary avenue for providing information about your business. Your social media
presence should all be pointed to your website. Facebook, Twitter, PInterest,
Youtube and any other properties you have should be driving traffic to your
website. Knox (2004) was of the view that if you do not have a website, you
will be losing business to other organizations that do. He informs that it’s
actually better not to have a website than have one that makes your business
look bad.
ICT
has ignited and provoked radical and drastic changes that has affected and revolutionized
the broadcast industry, most especially in immediacy and timeliness of news. In
the past few decades ICT has transformed the world in all spheres of life. It is
an instrument for reducing manual operations and encouraging rapid growth in
the media. To strengthen this assertion, Adigwe (2010) noted that, computer
technology has enhanced news processing and news reporting. With the Internet,
journalist can now click on relevant sites to source for foreign or even local
news for subsequent broadcast news. ICT he observes also helps to reduce and/or
eliminate the constraint of distance in the broadcast industry especially in
television.
Journalists
and broadcast professionals in Nigeria years ago were using manual and analogue
technologies in their programming, news gathering, processing, dissemination
and journalistic endeavors which in a way delayed delivery to the targeted
audience. However, with the advent of ICT equipment which is now being used in
the production, recording, programming, gathering, processing and transmission
of news events by television broadcast stations in Nigeria, there has been an
enhanced or improved delivery of broadcasting services. This will bring about a
departure from the ancient ways of broadcasting and the skills required to
master the various ICT components. To this end, this study investigates the influence of ICT on broadcast journalism.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It
is saddening that despite the startling developments in media technology, TV
broadcasting in Nigeria is yet to assimilate the new innovation or imbibe the
realities of modern broadcasting. The advancement in media technology can only
be said to be achieving the desired ends when they readily and continuously
influence positively the operations of the Nigerian broadcast media. What this
translates to, is that the success or otherwise of all these technologies can
only be measured in terms of the extent to which they bring improvement on the
accuracy, speed and transfer of message and redefine the concept of
broadcasting to an enviable height. The use of media technologies can only be
said to be effective when the media professionals and audience benefit from the
technologies through improved quality of programmes.
Arguably the employment
of ICTs in the newsroom and in news processing activities will increase cost,
as money would have to be invested into acquiring both hardware and software.
However, discussing information and communication technology usually puts
people out of jobs. This technology takes over mechanical assignment and frees
individuals for more intellectual productive work. For this technology to be
able to achieve its overall objectives there is a need for faster and more
accurate means of solving manual operations of data processing and better
storage devices for information and data as provided by ICTs, the complexities
of modern technology have produced great mathematical, scientific, and
engineering problem and hence, enhanced news processing and reporting. The
Nigerian broadcast media like other facet of life and human endeavour in the
country have now embraced Information and Communication Technology to some
extent. Therefore, this study shall investigate the influence of ICT on broadcast journalism.
1.3 Research Objectives
The
objective of this study is to investigate the influence
of ICT on broadcast journalism. The specific objectives are:
i)
To investigate if the Nigerian
broadcasting sector understands the media technologies as a support to their
operations
ii)
To examine how broadcast practitioners
in Nigeria perceive use of ICT and their
compliance to their usage
iii)
To understand the challenges of technologies in the Nigerian
broadcast industry
1.4 Research
Questions
The
following are some of the questions which this study intends to answer:
i)
To what extent the Nigerian broadcasting
sector understands the media technologies as a support to their operations?
ii)
How do broadcast practitioners in
Nigeria perceive use of ICT and their
compliance to their usage?
iii)
What are the challenges of technologies in the Nigerian broadcast industry?
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
The followings are the
research hypotheses to be tested in this study:
i)
There is a significant relationship
between Information and Communication Technologies and the performance of
broadcast journalism in Nigeria.
ii)
There is a significant influence of
Information and Communication Technology on the performance of broadcast
journalists in Nigeria
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study
is significant in the following ways:
It would
enable the researcher to expand the frontiers of research in digital
broadcasting especially with the use of ICT. It would enable the researcher to
understand how media practitioners view the ICT as they affect their practices
and operations in the broadcasting industry in Nigeria. It would enable the
researcher and other scholars to understand the level of acceptability,
application and operation of the ICT in Nigeria. It would enable media
practitioners to know the full benefits which the ICT possess and how to
utilize them for optimum services. It would assist in the formulation of
home-grown and functional ICT policy that will place the Nigerian broadcasting
industry to world standards. It would avail the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC) with full information in its quest for the phasing out of
analogue broadcasting equipment. It would give direction on how to gradually
transform from the present analogue state of broadcasting in Nigeria and
embrace a broadcasting environment that is driven by modern Information and
Communication Facilities as obtainable in western countries. It would stimulate
further research on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on how
they affect the broadcasting or media industry in Nigeria. It would add to the
body of academic literatures on Information and Communication Technologies in
Nigeria.
1.7 Scope of the
Study
The scope of this study revolves around Lagos; suffice it
to state that in evaluating an assessment of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) on the performance of broadcast media in Nigeria, the
dynamic scope has a national outlook and it will thus be universal to embark on
the study. However, it becomes very necessary to narrow it down in relation to
the assessment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the
performance of Channels Television, Lagos.
1.8 Limitation of
the Study
The
researcher encounters some constraints which limited the scope of the study;
Finance: Due to
the nature of office and business within the scope, the researcher spends a lot
of money on visiting, traveling from one location to another, from one office
to the other and even had to repeat a visit more than three times to seek for
information, all these involves money considering the financial constraint of
the researcher and limited resources available to her.
Sources of Information: Many
registered Channels Television of Lagos state were reluctant to give out or
provide information about the research, since they believe that sources of
information technology is something very confidential and therefore could not
open up to the researcher.
Inadequate Record
Keeping: Some of the respondents visited were unable to present
complete and comprehensive records of their business .while some were not
keeping proper records of their business activities and as such could not give
adequate and correct information on the effect of vat on their businesses
rippling on the economy of Nigeria.
Time: Time
constraint has been another vital limitation and obstacle towards effective
realization of the main objectives of this study. Time was really not on my
side since I have to combine the little time left with my academic work and
preparation.
1.9 Definition of Terms
For a proper understanding
of this work, key terms used are defined based on their conceptual relevance to
this study.
Influence: According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th ed.). Influence is the effect
that somebody or something has on the way a person thinks or behaves or on the
way that something works or develops. It could be further said as the power
that somebody or something has to make somebody or something behave in a
particular way.
Broadcast: This is the
business of sending out radio and television signals over a distance, to a
large heterogeneous audience by means of airwaves.
Broadcast Media: This is that
electronic media or channel that uses the airwaves which enables signals and
information to be transmitted to a large and diverse audience.