THE ROLE OF TELEVISION IN POLITICAL PERSUASION: A CASE STUDY OF NTA KADUNA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Mass communication is defined as message directed towards a large group people using a mass medium. It involves disseminating information to a large and widely dispersed audience mass communication is made possible through the help of mass media. That is to say mass media makes mass communication a reality mass media include television, radio newspaper magazines etc. Researchers in mass communication were interested in knowing how specific massage; channels and sources could produce changes in attitude of behaviors. This was the natural outgrowth of the way mass communication research have developed from the 1920s fueled by public fear of the media, along with anxious politicians, eager advertiser, crusading social engineers and others watching to see the massive reach of the media; “to get their message across” quickly and efficiently. Government, military and corporate funding sources played an important role in the decision of those working within the field to take the direction. The goal was to determine what kind of persuasive message could be used most effectively in mobilizations of various kind political, advertising, public health, economic, educational, and military and so on. Recent changes to the technologies of both the print and electronic media, and in particular the medium of television have already begun to fragment media audience and transform the relationship between media and the nation (masses). Therefore the utilization of the media in mobilization and persuasion is very crucial because the broadcast media, particularly the television has become the major sources of information dissemination over the years, and also the major means and most effective tools for political persuasion in Nigeria.

The ability of television to mobilize and persuade the people to behave in a given manner and to perform certain actions has merit an effective tool for political persuasion because it can send sound and picture simultaneously to a large and widely disposal audience, and it is captivating and dramatic in nature. Television appeals to the sense of sight and sound; it is comprehensive technique and the combination of audio and visual colours and motion. It has the ability to capture the interest of most viewers. That is why government and other private bodies give much attention to it. The media (television) serves as an intermediary between the government and the people because it assists the government in getting its plans and policies across to the people and the people in return gets their response, feeling and plight back to the government. After many years of military rule in Nigeria, democracy became a much needed endeavour and television serves as a major tools through which the people were fully information education, enlightened, mobilized and persuaded to activity participate in the decision making in the country during transition period. Television and NTA Kaduna to a large extend help in making the people in Nigeria to get all the political awareness, and it mobilize the people to both contest election and be voted for, or to vote for a candidate of their choice as an electorate. The importance of television in order to ensure a successful transition in Nigeria cannot be under estimated. Television really plays a key role in political persuasion in Nigeria.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Political participation is the bedrock of democracy. It includes involvement in and contributions to such political exercises as running in elections, voting, campaigning, party membership, election funding and other similar acts. Political participants attempt to influence the political processes through acceptable forms of persuasion. Active political participants register to vote, actually vote and vigorously talk to others to take the same steps. Some others watch politics unfold on television. Democracy as a system of government gives the citizens the right of mass participation. It is on this backdrop that the researcher intends to investigate the role of the television in persuading the populace to participate in electioneering.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to ascertain the role of television in political persuasion, but for the successful completion of the study, the following sub-objectives was put forward:

i)  To ascertain the role of television in political persuasion.

ii) To ascertain the relationship between the media and politics.

iii) To investigate the effectiveness of the media as an effective tool of political persuasion.

iv) To ascertain the importance of the television media in political participation.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTION

For the successful completion of the study, the following research questions were formulated.

i) Does political media plays any role in political persuasion?

ii) Is there any significant relationship between media and politics?

iii) Is the television media an effective tools of political persuasion?

iv) What is the importance of the television media in political participation?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the television media as the findings will guide them in discharging their duty effectively without bias. The study will also be of great importance to the political big whims and the political party to ensure effective collaboration with the television media to ensure effective collaboration and participation for the populace in the election process. The study will also be of great importance to researchers as the study will serve as a guide to further study in related topic. Finally the study will be of great importance to academia as the findings will add to pool of knowledge.

1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY

This research work is centered on the role of television in political persuasion with NTA Kaduna as a case study. It is worth knowing that since anything that is media related is usually broad and cannot be discussed in isolation, other facts about the role and importance of the media (television) world also sufficed in the course of this research.

1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY

The limitation encountered in the course of this study is not encountered to the fact that the relevant information and documents required were not provided by the media organization because of the confidentiality of such information to the media organization. This research work is also in intended for many broadcast media, but due to time factor and financial constraint, it was limited to NTA Kaduna.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERM

The terminologies to be defined constitute the title of this research. The Title is the Role of Television in Political Persuasion. The terminologies could therefore be defined as follows:

–  ROLE: The Advance learners dictionary define roles as a function that a person or thing typically has or is expected to have.

–  TELEVISION: The Webster dictionary defines television as the exact and continuous transmission of visual image, still or in motion but without permanent recording. For instantaneous viewing at a distance; effected by a combine optical and electrical system for converting waves into corresponding electrical impulses, which are converted into their visual form in a receiving set.

•  POLITICAL: The Webster dictionary defines the word “political” as anything pertaining to public policy concerned in the administration of government.
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BRIEF HISTORY OF CASE STUDY

The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Kaduna is an off shoot of the former broadcasting company of Northern Nigeria Kaduna (BCNN) which was established in March, 1962. it was originally established as a Radio and Television Broadcasting corporation from which its former name of Radio Television Kaduna came about. The station has been subjected to various changes by the succeeding governments. Nigeria television Authority (NTA) Kaduna was excised from the former Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (BCNN), which was established by decree No 21 of 31st March 1962, the decree took effect from April 1st 1976. The station has 10 kilometer each cover to down south of Kaduna, Malumfashi in Katsina state and part of Kano State. The transmitter operates on 4 bands 1 VHF, transmitter which is situated at No 99, Isah Kaita Road Kaduna, and was commission in 1993 and covers up to Kafanchan, Saminaka and Birnin Gwari. The transmitter could be said to cover three quarter of the land area of Kaduna. In April, 1976, the former Federal Military Government took the television aspect of Radio Television Kaduna and Made it to be on its own which is the present Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Kaduna, and the Radio aspect was called Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Kaduna.