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EVALUATION OF THE LEVEL OF NEWSPAPER READERSHIP AMONG CAREER WOMEN IN ABUJA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

It is common knowledge that the most effective way to promote awareness is through the media, where useful information may be conveyed to thousands of people in a certain area from a reliable source. In other words, newspapers, radio, television, magazines, posters, pamphlets/leaflets, billboards, the internet, and other forms of mass media are utilized to inform, communicate, and educate (among other things) as change agents in every culture.

Newspapers are a type of mass media that distributes current information at regular intervals. Newspapers are beneficial for education, information, enjoyment, relaxation, and entertainment as a mass media. This explains why newspapers are crucial, according to Ola and Ojo (2007), since they convey current information and keep readers aware of events and activities both inside and outside their immediate environs. Okunna (1999) backs up this claim by stating that newspapers are crucial since they provide as a source of current information or news. Obaid (2014) agrees that newspapers are textbooks that provide up-to-date information on local, state, national, and international affairs, as well as the most up-to-date analysis and criticism of executive and legislative decision-making, as well as the latest in music, theater, television, fine arts, and even columns and comics to make readers laugh. According to Babalola (2002), newspapers aid literacy empowerment by encouraging critical thinking, knowledge retention, problem solving, and information source questioning. Furthermore, newspaper reading allows one to develop civic-conscious ideals, tolerance, and a sense of community (Igwe, 2011), making it an important element for career women.

A career woman is a word that refers to a woman whose primary objective in life is to establish a profession for herself (Michelle O. 2017). When the word was originally used in the United States in the 1930s, it was used to distinguish between women who either worked at home or outside the home in low-wage occupations as a matter of economic necessity vs women who wanted to and were able to pursue employment as professions. Jobs in professional or business vocations with opportunities for innovation, advancement, and organizational skill were the result. Women who "wish to work not merely to support their families, but for a measure of personal economic independence, or as a byproduct of escaping from dull country life, or simply for the sociability of working with other women," for example, could still be considered "career women" because of their goals ( Frank S. 2012).

As a result, reading newspapers can give helpful information to professional women, such as university admissions, jobs, and government special incentives that are beneficial to them. This is due to the fact that reading is at the center of learning, particularly in formal schooling settings for those in the informal sector, such as working-class women. Reading broadens one's knowledge and perspective on a topic as well as society as a whole. Reading has four objectives, according to Onwubiko (2015): reading for pleasure and relaxation, reading for information, reading for knowledge, and reading for all of the above. He goes on to say that a reader has access to a variety of resources, including newspapers, which is one of the most common reading materials. Elmadwi (2014) found that among all mass communication channels, reading newspaper articles is highly advised for individuals since they may enjoy a range of reading and visual resources that will increase learning.

1.2       Statement of the problem

There is little doubt that the traditional newspaper is experiencing its most difficult period in history as a result of the internet's arrival. The internet offers online capabilities and opportunities that go much beyond what a traditional newspaper could supply. For example, the internet enables quick and low-cost access to news and information with interactive and multimedia capabilities, as well as easy access via relatively basic portable technology such as mobile phones and personal computers. According to Varian (2013), the internet is a superior means of disseminating and reading news and information.

Despite the importance of newspaper reading in students' lives, data from a broad body of empirical literature suggests that teenagers' newspaper reading is dropping. Dominick (2002, p. 14) states, for example, that newspaper reading has been dropping in recent years. Udie (2002, p. 100) also claims that just around half of Nigerian students read newspapers. According to Biagi (2003), the overall quantity of newspapers has decreased since the 1970s owing to non-readership. According to Rajendran and Thesinghraja (2014), new media and social media have presented a threat to the printed newspaper. Readership patterns appear to be shifting, according to them, as individuals flock to the internet for free news and information. One of the clever possibilities for customers to embrace it internationally was the immediate aspect of social media and internet news.

This situation unwittingly affects established forms of mass communication, such as newspapers, in their traditional stronghold of the news industry, pushing them to tap into the vast resources of the internet. It is also obvious that audience newspaper reading habits impact whether or not the traditional newspaper sector survives in Nigeria and many other nations. In this context, the goal of this study was to learn more about newspaper readership among Abuja's working women.

1.3       Objective of the study

The broad objective of this study  newspaper readership among career women in Abuja. Specifically the study seek to:

1. Ascertain the newspapers that career women in Abuja read.

2. Determine how regular career women in Abuja read the newspapers.

3.  Investigate the ways through which career women in Abuja obtain the newspapers they read.

4.   Find out the type of stories career women in Abuja mostly read on the newspaper

1.4       Research Questions

1.        What brand of newspapers are commonly read by career women in Abuja ?

2.        How regular do career women in Abuja read the newspapers?

3.        What are the ways through which career women in Abuja obtain the newspapers they read?

4.        What  type of stories are mostly read on the newspaper by career women in Abuja ?

1.5       Significance of the study

Newspapers has enjoined other mass media to also deliver their contents digitally. But as readers rush to online content, it is possible that conventional print newspapers may suffer a decline in readership. Findings from the study will be of significant importance to the society as it will make the public aware of the impacts of online newspapers on print media. This study will also be of importance to the different channels of mass media as it will let them know how the preference of readers.  Finally, the result of the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and serve as a reference material for student and scholars who wishes to conduct further further studies in related field.

1.6       Scope of the study

            The scope of this study borders on  newspaper readership among career women .  The study will ascertain the newspapers that career women  read.  It will determine how regular career women in Abuja read the newspapers. It will Investigate the ways through which career women in Abuja obtain the newspapers they read and also find out the type of stories career women mostly read on newspapers. The study is however delimited to career women in FCT, Abuja.

1.7       Limitation of the study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. However in spite of the constraint, all  were downplayed  by the researcher while ensuring that the best is given.

1.8       Definition of terms

Print Media: Print media is one of the oldest and basic forms of mass communication. It includes newspapers, weeklies, magazines, monthlies and other forms of printed journals. Print media has the advantage of making a longer impact on the minds of the reader, with more in-depth reporting and analysis.

Readership: Readership means  the quality or state of being a reader

Career woman: A career woman is a woman who regards her job and progressing in it as very important 

REFERENCE

Aliagan, I.Z. (2011). Newspaper readership pattern in Ilorin, Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3 (5):451-466.

Ashong, C.A. & Henry, O. (2017). Content Preference among online and Hardcopy Newspaper Readers in Imo State. Journal of New Media and Mass Communication, 4 (1): 1-15.

Babalola, E.A. (2002). Newspapers as instruments for building literate communities: The Nigerian experience. Nordic Journal of African Studies 11(3), 403-410.

Layefa, G. & Adesoji, J. &Adebisi, T. (2016). Newspaper Readership Pattern in Ekiti State, Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS),21, (5)121-13.5

Obaid. S (2014) Readership and readers' perception of Omani Newspapers. Global Media Journal Spring, 2013. Onwubiko, C. (2005). Using newspaper to satisfy the information needs of readers at Abia State University Library, Uturu. Journal of Education and Information Management, 7(2), 61- 72.

Orange, Michelle (2017). "Professional Lives: Career Women on Film". Virginia Quarterly Review. 93: 178–181 – via Project MUSE.

Shadrach, I. & Abugu, J. (2019). Integrating Social Media in Nigeria University Education System. Jalingo Journal of Social and Management Science, 1 (2), 18-33.

Stricker, Frank (14 February 2012). Cookbooks and Law Books: The Hidden History of Career Women in Twentieth Century America.

Vakkai, T.F. & Shadrach, I. (2018). Public Relations Communication Strategies as Prerequisite for Effective Government-University Management Relation. In Ngarka, T.S, Akombo, E.T & Agbu, A.D. (Eds). Taraba State University at 10: History, Development, Challenges and Prospects, pp. 352-366.

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