CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background to the study
Technology
has revolutionized all facets of communication during the past decades.
Access to the people and information practically anywhere in the world
has been quicker, cheaper and easier.
Awake (2002), the dynamic
nature of the 2ls century and more centuries to come rests on
technological revolution. No wonder, Marshall Mcluhan, a Canadian
scholar in 1964 propounded the concept of “Global Village” regarding the
entire global as having the potentials of becoming a global community
where information and news about anywhere in the world would be readily
available for anyone’s consumption in any part of the world.
Without
mincing worlds, the impact of International Network (Internet) in
achieving this feat cannot be underestimated. Research has shown that
some Three hundred thousand (300,000) new users get connected to the
internet every week. In 1999, it was estimated that seven hundred
million (700,000,000) people were expected to come online by the year
2001. Awake (Op cit).
Meanwhile, there are presently over one
billion computers connected worldwide. That come to tell us the enormity
and wide range of opportunities abound in accessing news and
information via the internet. Through the internet super high way, it is
now possible for a person to live in Nigeria, work in Japan, school in
the United state of America, attend meetings in Australia, bank in the
United Kingdom and shop in Europe or any other part of world on daily
basis (NACETEM) The contribution of the internet to every facet of human
endeavour does not leave any stone unturned but cut across every little
thing that we suggest among which are banking, health, education,
economy and finance governance just to mention a few.
Newspaper,
our focus in this study is not an exemption in the dynamism Information
Technology (I T) has brought to the human race. The Oxford Advance
Learner’ s Dictionary (2005) simply defines newspaper as “a set of large
printed sheets of paper containing news, articles, advertisement .etc.
and published every day or every week. In relation to the above
definition it could be safely said that online newspapers are the
publications of print media (Newspapers) that are made available on the
internet which can be easily passed across the world.
Super High
Way for near and far, national and international audience. Online
Newspaper can be considered as a major advancement in communication that
has led to a high quality and improved ways.
Newspapers are
recognized as print media in communication. Unarguably, the internet is
traceably gaining acceptance in online newspaper in more centuries.
Thus,
a newspaper is a periodic publication containing reports of latest
happening, it is bound and folded but not usually stapled. The
information technology revolution, which has turned the entire universe
to a global village is now at the heart of communication.
Online
Newspapers is made possible as a result of interconnection of computers
worldwide. The I T revolution has not only helped in print media but
also contributed immensely to the other communication endeavours.
The world is changing day by day. Also, human communication devices and processes are not static.
Before
the advent of print technology, information of news is by passing and
dissemination, each community has its own way of passing information to
its members that is, the traditional communication through Obas, chief
with the use of Oba’s message town crier. The message source is the
traditional rulers the message is sent through the town crier to the
people to inform them of an important event. Not all town criers make
use of gong, bell but some use drum or speech etc. More often than not
this message is been disseminated in the market place because several
people will be there to listen to the message.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The
adoption of new inventions and change is usually a thing of great
concern in the Third world countries of which Nigeria is one. Hence as a
result of the introduction of online newspaper, a phenomenon seemed to
have been embraced and taken its, firm root in some media organization
particularly print media the country.
This research work is however set to probe into the audience awareness, accessibility as well as patronage of online newspapers.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
- To know if students are aware of online newspapers and news blogs?
- To examine whether students have access to online newspapers or news blogs?
- To know the kind of information or news students seek in online newspapers?
- To study if there is any factor limiting or militating students access to online newspapers/News blogs?
- To know how often do students patronize online newspapers/news blogs?
- To examine the benefit which newspaper industries derive in placing their news online?
- To x-ray the negative effect of online news to newspaper industries
1.4 Research Questions
To assist in carrying this research, the under listed research questions are hereby formulated:
- Do students aware of online newspapers and news blogs?
- Do students have access to online newspapers and news blog?
- What kind of information or news do people seek in online newspapers/news blogs?
- Is there any factor limiting or militating students’ access to online newspapers/ news blog?
- How often do students patronize online newspapers/news blogs?
- Is there any benefit derieve by newspaper industries in placing their news online?
- Is there any negative effect of online news to newspaper industries?
1.5 Significance of the Study
Considering
the prevalent Information Technology (IT) revolution and the rate at
which it has transformed all facets of human endeavours, there is the
need to increase the awareness and patronage of online newspapers and
audience. In view of the foregoing, this research work is significant in
many respects.
One, the study would seem to afford newspaper
organizations the opportunity to work out modalities with a view to
increasing audience awareness as well as patronage of online newspapers.
Secondly,
the study is also significant in that would expose more people to the
existence of online newspapers. This will turn to boost the awareness
and facilitate the patronage of online newspaper especially among those
who are ignorant of the development.
Also, it is hoped that this
research work would essentially help to reveal to the audience, the
benefits gratifications of online newspaper that combines text with
quality and improve graphics as well as photographic items.
With
this view, it is believed that the study would not only seem to be
significant in stimulating not audience awareness accessibility and
patronage of online newspaper but would also help facilitate further
enquiry and research on the topic.
1.6 Scope of the Study
In
the pursuance of the research work without recourse to other areas of
communication or geography (population), this study will only extend and
limit its tentacles to the assessment of online newspaper in relation
to audience awareness, accessibility and patronage of online newspapers,
using the students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree as the selected
population.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
It
is not an overstatement that a work of this nature cannot be carried
out without some hard experience, however below are some of the
constrains to this work.
There are many
limitations ranging form not knowing where to start, not knowing who to
consult or approach for materials not knowing what next to write in
various segment of this study and not actually knowing who to put me
through in achieving my work and others are:
- Stress from other academic activities is one of the limitations to the research work
- Financial constraint to travel to different places .
- Duration for the research work is relatively short
- Materials that are available on this topic is relatively small as the concept is new or people are not written from that angle.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The terms would be defined as they are related to the research work.
Communication: Is the act of transmitting information idea and attitude from one person to another.
Online Newspaper: Are those publications of print media (Newspapers) that are made available on the internet.
Audience: Is a number of information consumers that bread newspaper (Oxford Popular Dictionary).
Awareness:
The Oxford Popular Dictionary defined awareness as the art of being in
the know how or having knowledge or conscious of something.(e .g. Online
newspapers).
Accessibility: The right opportunity or means of approach or online newspapers.
Patronage: The art of seeking the service of online newspapers.
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