THE MASS MEDIA AS CHANNEL FOR CREATING AWARENESS AND MOBILIZING PUBLIC SUPPORT
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Generally, all mass media organs in all established societies are expected to fulfill certain responsibilities and these obviously would include creating awareness and mobilizing public support towards governmental or public oriented programmes. Television, as a mass media organ, is equally expected to fulfill these functions as well. First of all, it would be necessary to explain what television as a medium of mass communication actually is. According to Janowitz, (1968) mass communication comprises the Institutions and techniques by which specialized groups employ technological devices press, radio, films, television etc. to disseminate symbolic contents to large, heterogeneous and widely dispersed audience, and television being an organ of mass communication employ technological devices to disseminate symbolic contents as it were to large, heterogeneous and widely dispersed audience.
How has television as a medium of mass communication been able to fulfill one of its responsibilities, the mobilization of public support, and the creation of awareness among the people has the Nigeria television expectations through its programmes? Both the federal and state governments have programmes that obviously require public support that would make it possible for them to realize their expectations. Programmes like the War Against Indiscipline, Environmental Sanitations, need to go back to the farms, payment of taxes, improved health services all require the support of members of the public for its success. One is not left in doubt as to the importance of television if these expectations of those in government are going to be realized.
The NTA, Enugu has a number of programmes and jingles that are specifically aimed at creating awareness and then mobilizing public support towards these programmes of both the federal and state governments. In the words of Mr. Jerry Ugwu of the NTA Enugu. “Ours is to get the people think along with the government through our programmes and jingles, I think the people are responding positively”. The success of any government programme depends largely on the amount of support it generates. Awareness and mobilization are no doubt very important variables in this regard. Perhaps this was why Wibbur Schramm in his book, on mass media and National development examined the various way people can be mobilized for national development.
According to him many developing countries mobilize their human resources to move heavy loads, more advance economics, would have been done by machines. A horde of men scrapping a new fair field or cutting a new road with raw hardy tools, lines of women carrying baskets of dirt or stones on their heads. Schramm feels that the best way to accomplish these tasks of mobilization of the people is through the mass media. Several writers, who had conducted empirical studies in some nations and regions, analysed in detail, the connection between media and development. Lerner’s study of mobilization in the Middle East, produced an empathic hypothesis of the ‘mobile’ or modern personal style or the capacity to see oneself in the other fellow’s situation. His concept of empathy is actually quite close to one use of social integration. He argued that high empathic capacity is the predominant personal style in modern society, which is a participatory society in that it functions by consensus. In such a society, there is a need for a transpersonal common doctrine made possible by shared secondary symbols. Coming down to television Authority (NTA) was established by an enabling decree in 1977.
The NTA, channel 8, Enugu is only an aim of the NTA zone C, which equally has its headquarters in Enugu. The general duties of the Authority according to the decree are
1. That it is the duty of the Authority to provide as a public service, in the interest of Nigeria, independent and impartial TV broadcasting for general reception within Nigeria.
2. The Authority shall ensure that the services, which it provides, when considered as a whole, reflect the same time give adequate expression of the culture, characteristics and affairs of each state, zone or other parts of the federation.
3. The decree equally emphasized the need on the part of the Nigeria Television Authority to contribute, through its programmes in creating awareness on the citizenry about governmental activities.
According to Mr. Jerry Ugwu the NTA Enugu Manager News and Current Affairs; meet the expectations of the farmers of the decree on NTA, particularly in creating the required awareness in the people, and again in mobilizing public support towards government programmes and activities.
2.1 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is important in the sense that it would enable readers to know the power of a television station in helping the authorities in the fulfillment of their expectations. It is only when government programmes and projects are given that support by the public that it will then be able to achieve the desired objectives and the television, happens to be a medium that can contribute quite enormously in meeting these expectation of government. The acclamation of television as powerful medium, as a result of its visual qualities, no doubt makes it a veritable tool for the mobilization of public support and the creation of awareness on the populace more so now that the governments of the federation have programmes and projects that require the support of the people. The study enabled me to know that the Nigerian Television Channel 8, Enugu, has been contributing a great deal in mobilizing public support for government programmes, by creating the required awareness in them.
.