IMPACT OF COMPUTER ON THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Journalism is the investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to broad evidence. Though there are many variations of journalism, the idea is to inform the intended evidence about topics ranging from government and business organization to cultural aspect of the society such as art and documentary.

In modern society, news media have become the chief supplies of information and opinion about publics’ affairs, but the role and status of journalism along with other forms of mass media are undergoing changes resulting from the internet.

In media organization setup, the ICTs acts as an information generator, checker, controller, processor, filing system and report preparation system. It performs the work of news process at high speed, the kind of repetitive, simple clerical processes and graphics which have long been carried out by human beings and even some of those which management would have carried out.

ICTs can be defined as an electronic machines that can store, organize

and find information, do calculations and control other machines. The idea of ICTs started with the primitive people. For example, the farmers used to count the number of heaps cultivated with pebbles and succulent stems. This is a form of ICTs because the aiding of counting from this concept. In addition, the four figure table used in mathematics is a computer, it is aid that helps in counting. Our old people now still keep memory of events by using charcoal to put strokes on the wall in their various house and make reference to those strokes when the need arises.

However, because of rapid technological development in the world, ICTs has taken a new dimension in the form of electronics. In this jet age, things have changed for better in the application of ICTs to journalism with its tools which allows for better efficiency and productivity of news with the aid of ICTs diffuses through journalism more rapidly and more completely than other new technologies. However its influence has been felt around the globe, the penetration of ICTs into journalism has presented a challenge for journalism educators.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

It is generally accepted that one of the major problems that are hindering efficiency of broadcast in most developing countries like Nigeria is the absence of effective means of gathering and disseminating information.

Sometimes, such information is in bits and never identified and collected together under one pool. The scattered information would be hard to access even for journalist without effective and sufficient knowledge and usage of computer.

Suffice it to say that ICTs have brought great improvement to both human and industrial activities such as the media in the area of information gathering and news dissemination. While some organization utilize in their organization others do not. Even journalists that are expected to make effective use of ICT are lacking in some aspects, while some are not ICTs literate. This study therefore sought to find the influence of ICTs on the work performance of journalists in AKBC Radio and Television.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The broad objective is to to examine impact of ict on the practice of journalism. Specifically it seeks to

1. To find out if practicing journalists in AKBC are aware of  ICTs.

2. To ascertain the proportion of practicing journalists in AKBC that have received formal training in the ICTs.

3. To find out if the use of ICTs have positive impact on news and information reportage.

 4. To find out if practicing journalists in AKBC have access to IC.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

The research is guided by the following questions

1. Do practicing journalists in AKBC aware of ICTs?

2. How many practicing journalists in AKBC have formal training on the use of ICTs?

3. Does the use of ICTs have positive impact on news and information reportage?

4. Do practicing journalists in AKBC have access to ICTs?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will provide the media owners, planners and practitioners’ good reasons on why ICTs should be employed in their media operations. It will serve as a reference point for current and future information and communication technology users, researchers, scholars, and students. It will also serve as a knowledge based for understanding ICTs potentials, dangers and how to utilize the benefits offered by the ICTs and encourages the people on how to manage the risks associated with ICTs in journalism. In addition, the study will help to clear the doubt on whether ICTs emergence lead to job loses to media practitioners. Finally, the research findings will add to the existing literature in the area of information communication technologies.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study is Uyo, the capital city of Akwaibom State. All journalists who practice in Akwaibom Broadcasting Cooperation (AKBC) radio and television are represented in this study. These journalist in AKBC  where purposively chosen to represent the media practitioners in the State.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study encountered various militating factors which posed as a limitation.

Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

Again, the selected respondent were hard to come by due to their busy programme as schedule culminating from the nature of the job of media practitioners. This therefore hindered the administration and retrieval of questionnaire of the respondents’ contacts to various AKBC journalist in Uyo where the respondents work were continuously met and the respondents cooperate as sort.

However in the midst  above mentioned limitation the researcher devotedly ensured that the purpose of the study was actualized.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Journalism: Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities. Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on current events based on facts and supported with proof or evidence. The word journalism applies to the occupation, as well as citizen journalists who gather and publish information based on facts and supported with proof or evidence.

Computer: Computer is a programmable device for gathering,processing, storing, and displaying information.

Information Technology: Information technology is any artifact manipulated by man to aid him communicate personally, massively and above all, timely information and communication technology (ICT) have enhanced global neighborhood in terms of medially in communication and information dissemination around the globe.

Communication: Communication is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more participants.

Information: Information is conveyed either as the content of a message or through direct and indirect observation of something.