Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Covenant Journals (Covenant University) Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 An Open Access Journal, Available Online Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 A Publication of the Department of Mass Communication, College of Business and Social Scienes (CBSS), Covenant University. Editor-in-Chief: Oladokun Omojola, PhD (Associate Professor) [email protected] Managing Editor: Edwin O. Agbaike [email protected] Website: http//Journal.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/cjoc Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 © 2018, Covenant University Journals All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any meams, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. It is a condition of publication in this journal that manuscripts have not been published or submitted for publication and will not be submitted or published elsewhere. Upon the acceptance of articles to be published in this journal,the author(s) are required to transfer copyright of the article to the publisher. ISSN - Print Version 2354 – 354X - E-Version: 2354 – 3515 Published by Covenant University Journals, Covenant University, Canaanland, Km 10, Idiroko Road, P.M.B. 1023, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria Printed by Covenant University Press ii Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 Articles Local Versus Foreign: How Audience Preference and Media Coverage Shape Soccer in Nigeria Mumini Alao 1 Post-truth, the Print Media and Political Messages in Ghana Wincharles Coker & Francis Afriyie 24 Twitter and Election Campaigns: Measuring Usage in Nigeria‘s 2015 Presidential Election Nkiru Comfort Ezeh & Augustine Godwin Mboso 44 Resolving the Political Tension: How Online Photographs Portray Candidates in Nigeria‘s 2015 Presidential Election Koblowe Obono 66 UNESCO‘S Recommendations on Communication and Cultural Heritage Matters ((1967 - 1984) and Implementation in Nigeria Ayodeji O. Awobamise & Adebola A. Aderibigbe 87 iii Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 An Open Access Journal, Available Online Local Versus Foreign: How Audience Preference and Media Coverage Shape Soccer in Nigeria Mumini Alao Department of Mass Communication University of Lagos Lagos, Nigeria. mail: [email protected] Abstract: This study juxtaposes foreign and domestic soccer narratives in the media to determine the level of influence each exerts on Nigerian fans. Respondents from four stadiums in Nigeria responded to questionnaire items while soccer administrators and sports media practitioners answered in-depth interview questions on this juxtaposition and the criterion of influence. Findings show the dominance of foreign content; jointly influenced by both the media and audience. Foreign soccer stories with a mean score of 4.63 featured prominently on the cover pages of sports newspapers compared to 3.29 for local stories while most fans (88.9%; n=1878) preferred foreign content. Results also show that commercial considerations influenced the agenda setting credential of sports media practitioners. Recommendations on how domestic soccer could attract more followership in Nigeria were made. Keywords: Audience, preference, media coverage, domestic soccer, foreign soccer, gate-keeping, agenda setting, Nigeria. 1 Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 Introduction appraise the impact the media The prevalence of foreign content in actually generate. the Nigerian media space is an on- The mechanistic perspective of going discourse among scholars in media effect sees the audience Nigeria especially within the members as passive and reactive; context of cultural imperialism. focuses on short-term, immediate Akinfeleye and Amobi (2011) assert and measurable changes in that the media are potent social thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors and systems that transmit cultural assumes a direct influence on the heritage from one generation to the audiences. Research in some climes, next. Unimpressively, however, the including that of Nigeria, has shown media in Nigeria have been accused that the audience is not always a of undermining this social docile group of people that the responsibility performance by media could manipulate at will allowing the dominance of foreign (Klapper, 1960). Nevertheless, the content. The perceived neglect of hypodermic needle hypothesis that traditional media functions by media influence is immediate and journalists has prompted Akinfeleye heavily impacting on the audience – (2003) to question whether Nigerian comparable to what happens when a reporters operate as fourth estate of soldier fires a bullet on an attacker the realm or wreck! is still popular. While this is so in In the 1960s and 70s, media certain areas of mass scholars and social scientists communication such as advertising believed that the media had the and propaganda, there are not power to sway huge audiences. But enough studies to confirm the extent as of late, the situation has become of such direct media impact on the complex, following the sports audience in Nigeria. In this phenomenon known as media study, media influence is convergence wherein both the operationalized ad the power of the media and their audiences are in the media to make the audience behave same marketplace of information in a particular way while media deluge where supply exceeds impact describes a cause-effect demand. To understand the highly relationship with the audience with complex processes through which a very few intervening variables media effect takes place, researchers (Akinfeleye, 2003; Morah & usually isolate elements in the Omojola, 2014; communication process: 2011; Folayan, 2016; Odiboh, et al. communicator, channel and 2017). message in order to properly 2 Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 The Nigerian sport media has across the country. On television, played a prominent role in nurturing DSTV-SuperSport has several and promoting Nigerian soccer. sports channels and it has been Apart from reporting the exploits of joined on the pay-tv segment by teams and players, it has also been StarTimes sports channels and the major custodian of the sport‘s KweseSport. On the internet, the history. In the 1960s and 1970s in number of Nigerian websites and Nigeria, foreign club soccer was blogs (Okorie, N., Loto, G. & largely unknown to Nigerian fans. Omojola, O. 2018) dedicated to Local clubs such as IICC FC, sports is growing every day. Stationery Stories FC, Mighty Jets Research Questions FC, Rangers International FC and This article investigates how media the national team - The Green coverage of soccer has affected Eagles - (as they were known then) audience preference for the sport. drew spectators that filled stadiums The following are the research to the brim. Support for local club questions: sides and the national team was like To what extent does media religion; the passion was high. But coverage influence audience from the 1980s when media preference for domestic and technology advanced rapidly, fans gained more access to modern mass foreign soccer? media – TV, radio, newspapers, and To what extent does audience now the Internet. Contents on preference influence media foreign soccer have since gained coverage of domestic and foreign popularity. Today, it appears local soccer? soccer has been pushed to the What influence does media type background as the Nigerian media (print, broadcast or online) have face the accusation of killing domestic football (Izamoje, 2018). on audience preference for domestic or foreign football? As of January 2017, there were How do soccer managers and three dominant national daily sports media practitioners perceive the newspapers in circulation in Nigeria influence of the media on - Complete Sports, Sporting Sun and audience preference for domestic Sporting Life. Quite a few exist as and foreign soccer? weekly newspapers dedicated to Literature Review reporting specific foreign club-sides Media coverage refers primarily to such as Manchester United and FC the contents of the mass media. Barcelona. On radio, Brila FM has More broadly, it is a term used to four sports radio stations spread describe the attention journalists 3 Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018 give to particular subjects or issues item relative to other published in the media. Thus, a newspaper items) and frequency (the number of may be described as giving more times the particular item or subject- coverage to football than basketball. matter is published (covered). Two types of media coverage are Media coverage of an issue may often found in the media literature: also be positive or negative in terms Placed media coverage which is of the impression it has or creates content published by media users on the audience. such as a public relations firm or The Agenda Setting Theory has individuals hired for the purpose; excellent expository constructs that and earned media coverage which explain how journalists impact is content produced by journalists or media audience in the process of a free contribution submitted by selecting stories for publication. The members of the public that the mass theory