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WESTERN MEDIA CONTENTS AND NIGERIAN YOUTHS: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 

The twenty-first century have witnessed enormous development in the media sector which ranges from the privatization and commercialization of broadcast media to importation of subsidized cable networks and foreign television programmes and films into Nigeria. The foreign television programmes most time comes from the united states and western Europe and even when they are not from these places as it is in the case with soap operas from Mexico, they are only local variations of international capitalist.  

American made programmes particularly are seen practically in every country where television exist. It is believed to exert influence on various countries. There is no question that one of the more remarkable phenomena of the 21st century is the widespread diffusion and accompanying popularity of American films and television entertainment programmes throughout the world. Guback  (1969) Lee (1980); Tunshell (1977); Wells (1972). I, therefore concur with most local critics of American television industry (Hamelink 1983; Schiller 1989, Mattelert (1970) to say that united states and western Europe hold sway over the economy as well as the cultures of the third world countries.

In Nigeria as exemplified by trend in Enugu State, Western exports of television entertainment are shown in NTA Enugu, star TV, Nigeria system TV, MGM, cartoon network, CNN international, TNT classical movies, ESPN (Expanded sports programme network) provided by various satellite transmission operators as DSTV, Multi choice, GO TV, star  times, euro sport,  music television and host of others. However, the inclusion of some of our local media such as NTA and star TV in the course of foreign television programmes is for the fact that most of their programmes which have been documented to be viewed mostly by the youths, exposes youths to foreign cultures. Such programme includes soap operas, movies and youth programmes such as ‘our generation’ and ‘Youth perspectives’ and also ‘Top 10 music count Down’.

“Our generation” is shown on NTA Enugu while “Youth perspective and Top 10 music countdown are shown on ESBS. Both programmes are presented by youths and regrettably replete with music videos of western origin dominated by rap stars as Tupac shako (late), Beyonce, Ashanti, 50 cent, Sean Paul, Kell Rowland Big, Queen Latifa, Celine Dion etc.”
It is obvious that western television contents especially those of American origin is conscious and strategic “Weapons” geared towards subjugating the cultural value of the underdeveloped countries.

1.2    STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS 

It have been observed that the average Nigerian youth is always eager to be associated with the developed nations; the Europe and north America. He thinks Western while earnestly hoping to be in the white work one day. Majority of these Nigerian youths appears to see everything Western (American) in a positive light. The Nigerian youths tend to initiate western culture at the expense of our local culture, norms and values. He (Nigeria youth) talks and dresses like the Americans. He prefer foreign media contents such as seasonal films to our Nollywood made films, English premier league to our local leagues, CNN news to our local media news. However, the preference of western media content  by the Nigeria youth spells a lot of doom to the Nigeria socio-cultural cum economic value. Our local dialects are going for extinction, the local media out of fear for low patronage are embracing electronic imperialism by hooking up to western media. Most of the time violence, rape, gangterism, weird dressing, juvenile delinquency, drug addiction, preference of the foreign made goods over the locally made ones, sexual perversion, unpatriotism, burning desire to migrate to the united states and western European countries etc, all these constitutes treath to the national development.

1.3    OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1.    To isolate western television and examine its pervasive impact on the cultural values of the Nigeria youths.

2.    To show how the contents of western TV programmes affects Nigerian youths

3.    To show if their perception of west affects their attitude towards western TV programmes.

4.    To determine the preference of western television programmes to locally made ones by the Nigeria youth.

5.    To show the implications of western TV culture on Nigeria as a state.

6.    To make reconciliations based on the findings of the research.

1.4    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 

This research could not have come better than now that technological development have made for indiscriminate movement and consumption of western television programmes in developing world. It is therefore hopeful that the result of this research will enable the government and other policy makers to put adequate measures in place to checkmate the in flock of western media content and its attended effect. Another significance of this study is that it will enable the government to come to term with the role of the media in youth/ national development and in turn reposition our local  media to enable them compete favorably with their western counter parts and thus win back the approval of the Nigeria youths.

1.5    RESEARCH QUESTION 

Based on the problem which this research work is aimed at solving, the researcher hereby raises the following questions.

a.    Do Nigerian youths expose themselves more to TV than other media?

b.    Do they prefer western TV programme to locally made ones and why if yes?

c.    Do Nigeria youths identify more with locally or foreign TV stars as models?

d.    Will improvement of local TV/movie industries improve Nigerian youths preference for local TV product. 

1.6    RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 

Hi:    Nigerian youths prefers Western TV contents to local TV contents.

H0.Nigerian youths did not prefer Western TV contents to local TV contents. 

H2:    Western TV content is the reason behind lost of value amongst Nigerian youths.

h3:western TV content is not the reason behind lost of value amongst Nigerian youths.

H3:    The improvement of local media contents will increase Nigerian youths preference for local TV contents. 

Ho:    The improvement of local media contents will not increase Nigerian youths preference for local TV contents.

1.7    THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 

A number of theories come into play in explaining the communication situation being questioned by this study. First is the cultivational theory, which was developed by George Gerbner during the 1970s and 1980s. Gerbner and his associates were concerned with the belief that television “cultivates” about the world of crime and violence as a result of the medium’s continuing pre-occupied with violence. One of the major tenets of cultivation theory is that heavy viewers i.e. those who involves themselves deeply in television  fictional world tend to hold conception of reality that are consistence with what they see in the television.

It is also built on the premises that the major cultural function of television is to stabilize social patterns in that culture are reinforced and maintained through television images. This is why Gerbner et al (1978:178) opined that, we live in terms of the stories and stories about who to do and television tells all through news, drama and advertising to almost most of the time. 

Furthermore, Agenda setting theory offers one way of studying the relationship between “the world outside the media and the pictures in our heads” The news media do not just tell us how things, are, they do not and cannot be totally unbiased. The news media cannot reflect reality perfectly. Therefore, agenda is selection of items in order of importance. The proponents of this theory are of the view that the media present the public without pictures of the world as it is but with an agenda of their own. However, after all said and done, an important question remains; does the agenda of the media actually influence the audience and if it does, does it affect their (audience) agenda-their awareness of issues?

The experiment by Defleur and Larsen supports the idea that repetition of a message in the media will increase the number of people learning the message. The researcher following the facts as enunciated above posit that western media programme have impact on the Nigerian youth.

1.8    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study shall be covering the following:

i.    The impact of western television content on Nigeria youths (Enugu youths)

ii.    Asses youth preference of western TV contents over the local ones.

iii.    Asses whether western TV programme is responsible for the attitude of Nigerian youth towards western enclaves.

iv.    It will finally see if the improvement of local media could limit or curtail influence exerted by western media content on Nigerian youths.

1.9    LIMITATION OF STUDY

This study is meant to cover the whole of Nigeria but as a result of financial constraint and lack of time, the research is restricted to Enugu state. However, the researcher hereby suggests that similar study be carried out in at least one state from each of the geopolitical zone to ensure embracing result. Further research should also be carried out using a central sample of typical rural dweller who have no access to television.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The keywords that form the topic of this study is whereby defined conceptually and operationally.

i.    Youth: Conceptually: young men and women

Operationally: young men who are within the age bracket of 15-30 years

ii.    Western media: Conceptual: this refers to news media of the western world

Operational: western television/films

iii.    Western media content

Conceptual: all the media programme of the western origin

Operationally: American/European made TV programs/films

REFERENCES

Baron, S. J (2009): Introduction to Mass Communication: Media literacy and culture, New York: MC grow hill.

Defleur, M. et al (1971): sociology: man in society, Illinois scolt foresman and co.

Egwu E. U. (2001): feign media projection of Africa, the role of African communicators (ed) in “the journal communication (ACCE) vol. 1 No 1, November 2001.

Folarin, B. (1998): theories of mass communication: an introductory Ibadan: stirring – Horden publishers (Nig.)  Limited.

Gerbner, G et al (1978): cultural indicators: violence profile, No 9, Journal of communication, New York: MC Graw Hill.

MC Quail, D and windahal S. (1981): models for the study of mass communication New York: Longman.

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