CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Media as an instrument of political enlightenment explores into the radio as an enlightenment agency in a democratic society. Radio is an instrument for journalism education, enlightenment, mobilization, culture propagation and entertainment. Radio promotes economic development, stimulates political participation and arouses national consciousness and unity among the masses.
Radio was originally founded in 1933 by the British colonial government which was named the radio diffusion service (RDS). It allowed the public to hear the British Broadcasting Corporation as a foreign radio. In 1950, the radio diffusion service (RDS) became the Nigerian Broadcasting Service and inaugurated radio stations in Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu, Ibadan and Kano. This service was incorporated into the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in 1957 by act of parliament.
The Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) was designed to serve the communication needs of the people in the regions. In the same vein, the broadcasting organization of Nigeria (BON) was founded 1973 to aid successful interaction of the broadcasting media in Nigeria. The organization is used as a rallying point for coverage of major national and international events. It is owned by the state.
Radio has the ability to serve both the illiterate and literate unlike the print media; radio has played major roles in greasing the wheels of country’s political economy. Radio makes unbeatable contributions to the enhancement of the country’s political growth as exemplified in its massive democratic education, enlightenment, awareness, consciousness and provision of fora for discussion, debates and presentations.
The performance of these functions was maximized during campaigns toward the 2003 general elections and another attempt at civilian-to-civilian democracy in Nigeria. It therefore provided the electorate the opportunity, manifestos and programmes with a view to eventually making rational, responsible and mature choices during the elections and other democratic activities.
The mass media are organized, technical and a chological process of communication designed to reach, influence large number of people without the necessity of personal contact. Radio is regarded as the guardian of the public that examines the political or democratic policies and programmes, educate the masses, motivate, mobilize and manipulate them into active participation in political programmes and activities.
Radio has many roles to play in a democratic society. That is, the news media (Radio) are indispensable in a democratic society. It is the fourth estate of the realm, independent, free and responsible to the public awareness is created in order for the citizens to know the problems and issues confronting the state and of their possible solutions and consequences. They provide people with information they need to formulate their own ideas and can stimulate them by presenting the ideas and can stimulate them by presenting the ideas of others.
The mass media should play a crucial role in nurturing and sustaining the success or failure of our practice of democratic government. To a reasonable extent, their success depends on how well the mass media carries out their function as the mid wife of democracy.
In Nigeria, the mass media of political information has become an instrument of political transformation of the entire masses and because of its effectiveness has those who were politically averse to become politically or democratically conscious.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Nigeria democratic setup has called for the need for instrument of democratic enlightenment as a result of it poor democratic development which has ultimately affected the masses the also the economy of the nation.In democracies, the mass media are the democratic watch dog of the people. They usually mobilize and inform to create awareness on political culture. By political culture, I refer to system of politics where the traditional orientation of the citizen of a nation towards politics, affect their perceptions of political legitimacy.
The incipient crisis which has so far beset the process of nation building and political development in Nigeria and state has been noted by Ofoeze (1998) as being located in the crisis of democratic enlightenment. Perhaps, it could be argued that the political crisis that pervaded our recent past points to the fact that most of our people are ignorant of an apathetic wards the countries that observe that Nigeria electioneering and voting pattern cannot be validated.
In Nigeria political system and all over the entire world, mass media especially radio as a mass communication channel has been so overwhelming that most times, we wonder what we would have done without it. Specifically speaking, the role of radio as an instrument for democratic enlightenment cannot be over emphasized, but despite all of them, it still has its weakness. We all know that of all the medium of communication, radio is the less effective mostly because of its lack of visuals. Talking about the most recognized and household communication medium, we talk about the internet, our various television programmes, the magazine, newspapers, to mention but a few.
Being in a more sophisticated and complex democratic society, the radio has few chances of survival in dealing with the uprising complexities of the advanced age and also improving the level of enlightenment among electorates in a democratic society.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The level of political participation in Nigeria seems to be very low. Therefore, the major aim of this study is intended to examine radio as an instrument for enlightenment in a democratic society. Other objectives of the study include;
1. To examine the reasons for the low democratic enlightenment in Nigeria.
2. To examine the prospects of effective democratic enlightenment in Nigeria
3. To examine the relationship between radio and democratic enlightenment in Nigeria.
4. To assess the major challenges to democratic enlightenment using radio as an instrument in Nigeria.
5. To recommend ways of improving democratic enlightenment using radio in Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the reasons for the low democratic enlightenment in Nigeria?
2. What are the prospects of effective democratic enlightenment in Nigeria?
3. What is the relationship between radio and democratic enlightenment in Nigeria?
4. What are the major challenges to democratic enlightenment using radio as an instrument in Nigeria?
5. What are the ways of improving democratic enlightenment using radio in Nigeria?
1.5. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
H0: There is no significant relationship between radio and effective democratic enlightenment in Nigeria.
H1: There is a significant relationship between radio and effective democratic enlightenment in Nigeria.
1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is expected that this study would be of immense benefit to the government, the mass media and the people of this country. This study will highlight the importance o the mass media as a vehicle of political enlightenment in a transition era. Through the mass media especially the broadcast media i.e. radio might have a chance of having a viable political; culture and help to choose leadership that will inculcate a viable political and sustaining democracy. This will also give us a blessed society by giving knowledge to the masses; create sense of nations, lead to increased political activity or participation. Promote peoples need, satisfying development as self perpetuating process. According to Goran Hedebro- “Communication media can create a climate of change by including a new value, attitude and models or behaviour favourable to mobilization, teach new skills, act as a multiplier of resources of knowledge, raise level of participation in decision making, help people to find new norms and harmony in period of transition and change the power structure of the society.
1.7. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study is restricted to radio as an instrument for democratic enlightenment in Nigeria, using Lagos state broadcasting service as a case study.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
1.8 ASSUMPTION OF THE STUDY
The entire study of mass communication is based on the premises that there are effects from the media, yet it seems to be the issue on which there is uncertainty and least agreement. This apparent uncertainty is the most surprising, since everyday experience provides countless examples of small effects.
Consequently, we live in a world where political and government processes are based on the assumption that we know what is going on in the state or society from the press, television and radio.
There are few people who can trace a piece of information or opinion to a source in the media and much money and effort is spent in directing media to achieve such effectiveness or effect. It is on this basis, that mass media effect theories were carefully examined to support this research work since mobilization has to do with the effectiveness of the mass media.
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