ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF “HEAL THE WORLD” PROGRAMME OF RADIO BENUE ON THE BENUE AUDIENCE: A STUDY OF MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF “HEAL THE WORLD” PROGRAMME OF RADIO BENUE ON THE BENUE AUDIENCE: A STUDY OF MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1          Background to the Study

The function that health communication plays in influencing health spans the entire disease continuum including preventive, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and end-of-life care. Schiavo, (2007, p.7).

Health communication is a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to reach different audience and share health related information with the goal of influencing, engaging and supporting individual communities, health special groups, policy makers and the public to champion, introduce, adopt or sustain a behavioral practice that will ultimately improve health outcome.

Health communication is conceptualized as the central social process in the provision of public health. The centrality of the process of health communication is based upon the pervasive role the media perform in creating gathering and sharing health information. According to Kreps, (1988, p.238) health information is the most important source of health care and health promotion because of its essentials in guiding strategic health behavior, treatment and decisions.

Faced with this debilitating and important reality, it is pertinent to ask which media of mass communication will best carry out health programmes that will reach the desired audience in a developing nation like Nigeria. Radio which has been seen as a veritable medium of communication has this potentials and its pervasive nature makes it a medium of social mobilization sensitization and public entertainment. As a matter of fact, one have to agree with Mboho, (1991, p.116) that “the mass media particularly radio have the potentials and credibility sufficient and as to facilitate desirable attitude in media audience. Okuna, (2003, p.56) admitted that “radio is indeed powerful”.

Radio can simply be describe as the most widely used medium of mass communication for both urban and rural dwellers all over the developing  world that is why Okigbo (1990, p.23) says that “the attraction of radio derives partly from it cheap price low operation cost and portability. He further went on to state that the additional value of radio remains its ability to cut through the barriers of absence/poor supply of infrastructural facilities like electricity’’. Today further breakthrough in the wide world of communication technology and engineering have paved way for emergence of solar powered community radio station. This and more are the potentials of broadcasting through radio.

Since radio communicates by transfer of information from the source to the general public, while the content of communication are referred to as information, however, the content transmitted to the general public  through radio are referred to as programmes.

Radio health programmes is an important link between the audience and vital health information. Programmes on radio helps health workers expand their audience reach which is crucial considering the fact that face-to-face channel of communication often requires too many human resources and reach only small number of people in large underserved rural areas.

The nature of health programmes bestows radio with the unique ability among the media to affect the audience, to reflect and shape social structure. This efficaciousness comes from the combine weight and strength of radio to step directly into the home, from their continuous and almost universal ability to their easy accessibility, and from their realism and capability to entertain.

Radio Benue in its quest to ensure that the health sector which according to Nwenwene, (2001, p.262) is fundamental to the smooth running of all other sectors of the Nigerian economy brought up a health programme titled “Heal the world”.

Heal the world is centered on health issues especially on Human Immune Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Its centrality is based on creating, gathering and sharing health information with the aim of educating and causing behavioral change in its audience in Makurdi metropolis and its environs, and highlighting the activities of the Government in the fight against Human Immune Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

Chudi (2007, p.471) noted that the mass media particularly radio facilitate social change and have the capacity not only to reflect but also to shape opinion and form attitude. Therefore, the question now is to what extent can “Heal the world” on Radio Benue alter the knowledge, beliefs behaviors, attitude and value of the audience in Makurdi metropolis?

1.2          Statement of the Problem

Programme and programming on radio station to large extent are meant or targeted to audience members for desired or anticipated impact. It is not alienated to say that “Heal the World” programme of Radio Benue has one motive in relation to its audience members have heard and listened to “Heal the World” programme of Radio Benue Makurdi, but the influence as to adherence to its advocacy has not been felt, hence Benue audience are still rated highly as the top most carriers of HIV/AIDS and even if that’s what the programme advocates for.

            Therefore, the study investigates if the mass media influences change of attitudes of Benue audience towards health related issues. The study will also investigate the influence of mass media programmes on Benue audience. Furthermore, the study assess audience perception of the programme “Heal the World” on Radio Benue.

TOPIC: ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF “HEAL THE WORLD” PROGRAMME OF RADIO BENUE ON THE BENUE AUDIENCE: A STUDY OF MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Chapters: 1 - 5
Delivery: Email

Number of Pages: 65

Price: 3000 NGN

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