PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT OF MEDIA MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The advent of broadcasting in Nigeria has brought a new lease of life to the communication sphere in Nigeria as it ushered in a new medium of expression and communication for the people of Nigeria. With the introduction of new media technologies came more opportunities to the broadcasting sector in the area of media convergence. The challenges brought by these new media are so immense that no part of the world could afford to be left out in the turn of events. This paper therefore highlights the challenges and prospects of the new media faced by the public service broadcasting in Nigeria. The total population for the study is 200 staff of NTA channels 12 Uyo. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up broadcasters, technical officers, senior staff and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies.

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

The public service media in Nigeria aims to produce high quality content, make it available across widely used devices and platforms, and reach all audiences. The means of attaining this however, has meet with some challenges over the years. The place of modern day new media technology makes it impossible to imagine our contemporary society without them. This is so because; the new media brings us together in variety of ways that would have been thought as impossible (Sehl,Cornia, & Neilson 2016). For instance, a few generations ago, it took several hours for a message to be transmitted from Nigeria to North America. Today however, information can be transmitted in seconds. Surmounting one of the greatest challenges to information posed by distance with the internet today, means that people can communicate and access information anywhere in the world regardless of where they are located in the globe. The mass media industry in Nigeria has come a long way. The Nigerian media has, at various times and fora been described as one of the most vibrant in the world and undoubtedly the most vibrant in Africa. The reason for this allusion is not far-fetched. Even from colonial times, the Nigerian media has taken up the task of disseminating information positively influencing the trend of governance and shaping public opinion toward nation building and good governance. As the fourth estate of the realm, the Nigerian media was at the vanguard of nationalism and the struggle for independence from the colonial government of the British imperialists. The press also assumed the role of the opposition party during various military incursions into governance in Nigeria. At the risk of losing their lives, Nigerian media practitioners fought successive military rulers and their overbearing and corrupt practices and wanton plundering of the nation’s resources and reserves. The media is a complex non-state actor whose activities have been made even more complex by massive advancement in technology. From the primitive gong of the village town crier, the leaf-lettering of anti-colonial movements, the bold headlines of the national dailies, the crystal clear news footages of the cable television networks, to the internet blogs, no one can seriously ignore the impacts of today’s mass media. What exactly constitute the media, what roles does the media perform, what is the character of the media, what is the average composition of a media organization in Nigeria, how is it managed, which management style inapplicable to which? These are the fundamental questions that will form the basis of our discourse today. However, the way the media functions in every society is contingent upon a host of variables which combine to define and shape its character. Perhaps, a historical and definitional understanding of the media in Nigeria can help.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The media in a way have become one of the strongest linkage institutions bridging, as it were, the gap between the state and the citizens. In a more restricted sense, we can define the media as “the multitude of ways for the public to gain access to political news, analysis and commentary”. And in a more general sense, the media provide the public access to any kind of information whether political, business or entertainment. The media include the print (newspapers, magazines and other publications), the broadcast (radio, television) and new media which largely speak to the internet and the World Wide Web. In this view the researcher wants to investigate the problems and prospect of media management in Nigeria.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is problems and prospect of media management in Nigeria.  But for the successful completion of the study; the researcher intends to achieve the following sub-objectives;

1. To determine the problems that affect media management

2. To ascertain whether media management affect their productivity

3. To determine the prospect of media management

4. To ascertain the significant relationship between media management and quality production of programs

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES 

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher; 

H0: there is no problem that affects media management

H1: there are problems that affect media management

H02: there are no significant relationship between media management and quality production of programmes

H2: there are significant relationship between media management and quality production of programs

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of benefit to ministry of communication and media for proper management. The study will also be of great benefit to the researchers who intends to embark on research on similar topics as it will serve as a guide. Finally, the study will be of great importance to academia’s, lecturers, teachers, students and the general public. 

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers problems and prospect of media management in Nigeria. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

 a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities. 

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

PROBLEMS: A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

PROSPECT: The possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring.

MEDIA: Media is the collective communication outlets or tools that are used to store and deliver information or data. It is either associated with communication media

MEDIA MANAGEMENT: Media management is seen as a business administration discipline that identifies and describes strategic and operational phenomena and problems in the leadership of media enterprises.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows 

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study