ICT AND CHANGES IN MASS MEDIA PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT ON ICT AND CHANGES IN MASS MEDIA

The study examines ICT and changes in mass media productions and distribution in TV Continental (TVC) in consonance with Technological Determinism and Diffusion of Innovation Theories. A cross-sectional survey research method was adopted as a quantitative research method in which questionnaires were used to elicit data from the 150 respondents selected from TVC through a purposive sampling technique while the data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentage method.  Findings showed that news gathering and dissemination, photo editing, video editing, commercial jingles, cartoons, and animations are some of the areas in which the ICTs have been felt in TVC and journalism generally. Also, the findings showed that modern communication technologies have made journalism practice more lively and interactive, and effective. It is recommended that media practitioners should not see Information and Communication Technology as evil but rather as a blessing to journalism while journalists and other staff are trained and retrained to meet up with the emerging technology and platforms.

  CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1       Background to the study

Broadcasting has been at the forefront of many technological changes, mostly in digitalization and enhancement of existing technologies. For example, digital technologies now permit listeners to obtain traffic information and news per se, while listening to a cassette, compact disc and radio station, etc.

We are all living in a changing world, and over the past many years, we have been conditioned to accept changes in the way we think and relate. Thus, communication between the peoples of the world which sounded impossible before is now becoming a reality in our very eyes, giving practical meaning to Marshall McLuhan’s view of the world as a global village interlinked by communication technologies (Olayinka, 2015).  

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are electronic machines and devices. Their application has both computing and communication capabilities. They range from physical devices like digital cameras, tape recorders, computers, sensing devices, scanners, mobile phones, etc to the internet, teleconferencing, satellites, etc. Their application is broad and cuts across all interpersonal and mass communication media, giving more power, robustness, and veracity to their operations and performances. The broadcast media particularly the radio has remained the most persuasive, accessible, affordable, and flexible mass medium available in cities, urban towns, and rural areas. It is often the only mass medium available to a majority of the people.

The application of Information and Communication Technologies into broadcasting is therefore designed to boost and enhance the quality of broadcast programmes. It is also believed that the business of broadcasting has been elevated with the application of Information and Communication Technologies.

At whatever level communication in society is examined, whether intra-personal or inter-personal, group, or mass communication, a paradox is evident: contemporary human communication is becoming more complex by the day, but simultaneously, it is being simplified by the use of the internet and ICT devices.

ICT and other Internet-enabled devices have enhanced broadcast media performance in the area of feedback, endless tasks of information storage, retrieval, and updating in the process of mass communication has been made easy by Internet/ ICT, Internet/ICT has significantly enhanced production processes in mass communication by easing communications problems among reportorial, desk, and production crews, Reporters can be anywhere over the world and report live during the live broadcast and  Online radio and TV become possible as people all over the world can enjoy radio at anywhere by just logging into the website of news body or download their mobile application on Smartphone (Olayinka, 2015).

This informs the reason why this project is undertaken with a view to finding out what effect Information and Communication Technologies have on the broadcasting media, taking the TVC and AIT as a case study with the view to know the extent to which ICTs are influencing their news gathering, programming, programmes processing and distribution in Nigeria. 

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Going global trends, foretell an increase in the employment and the deployment of ICTs in news processing, in order to achieve better efficiency, accuracy, and speed up operations of news processing. Arguably the employment of ICTs in the newsroom and in news processing activities will increase costs, as money would have to be invested into acquiring both hardware and software.

However, when Information and Communication Technology is discussed, it puts people out of jobs. The reverse is often the case. This technology takes over mechanical assignments and frees individuals to do more intellectually productive work.

Similarly, if this technology will achieve its overall objective, there is a need for faster and more accurate means of solving manual operations of information gathering, processing, and information dissemination as provided by ICTs, the complexities of modern technology have produced great mathematical, scientific, and engineering problem and hence, enhanced news processing and reporting.

It is against this background that the research examines how much contribution have Information Communication Technology brought to journalism, especially in changing the ways of production and distribution of mass media content.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The purpose of this study is to attempt a purely objective assessment aimed at improving our understanding of the effect of the Internet on broadcast media performance. Thus, the purposes of this study are:

i.      To examine the extent to which TVC and AIT are exposed to Internet/ICT devices in news gathering and dissemination.

ii.      To know the type of Information and Communication Technology devices used by the TVC and AIT stations.

1.4       Research Questions

The research shall provide answers to the following questions:

i.     To what extent are staff of TVC and AIT exposed to Information and Communication Technologies for information gathering, processing, and dissemination?

ii.     What type of Information and Communication Technology devices have journalists of TVC and AIT adopted?

1.5       Significance of the Study

The findings as a result of this study are expected to provide information that would help media organizations particularly broadcast stations improve with the use of ICTs as well as provide insight to TVC and AIT stations.

It will also help the station make necessary amends in the positive direction where they are found to be lacking behind and equally provide a model for researchers and institutions of higher learning by serving as a reference point.

It would also help broadcasting stations tackle possible problems associated with the use of Information and Communication Technologies because of their technicality.

 1.6       Scope of the Study

This study has been limited in scope to the staff of TVC and AIT due to time, finance, and other logistics. Another factor responsible for the selection of TVC and AIT is the proximity of the duo stations to the researcher. The demography of the staff of TVC and AIT will be considered before the structuring and distribution of the research instrument to respondents, such factors include but are not limited to sex, age, marital status, educational level, knowledge of Internet/ICTs, etc.   

1.7       Operational Definition of Terms

ICT: This refers to the Information and communication technologies that are used in broadcast media for various purposes to advance their performance and used in accomplishing communication efficiency and effectiveness.

ICT AND CHANGES IN MASS MEDIA PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION

PROJECT DETAILS:

Format = MS Word, Price = ₦4000, Chapter = 1-5, Pages = 52, References = Yes, Questionnaire =Yes, Table of Contents = Yes and Abstract = Yes

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