ABSTRACT
This project study focuses on the impact of Mass Media on Social, Political and Cultural being of the people.
For understanding of the study, Eruwa Community of Ibarapa East Local government, Oyo State was taken as a case study for the research work due to it nearness to the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Adeseun Ogundoyin Campus, Eruwa.
The researcher administered 100 questionnaire to the respondents of the community and 90 filled questionnaire was recovered. The researcher proved and observation was based on recovered questionnaire.
The research reveals that adequate broadcast of a good programme that promote and boost the social, political and cultural ideal of the people will influence the behaviour of the people or target audience (listeners) either positively or negatively. It was discovered that most of the target audience have interest on social self, therefore, the mass media should foster its efforts on entertainment programme for the people and more of opinion and news programme to satisfy their desire for social, political and cultural life.
However, it was observed during the research that a good programme does not tends to be injurious to the society thereby increasing its target audience and lure more advertiser to the media thereby generating income to the media.
Furthermore, A primetime broadcast of a programme enjoys more patronage than morning, afternoon and evening broadcast since it was the resting and relaxing hour for the target audience and find the programme interesting thereby project the media and made it familiar to the target audience. The research also shows that radio is the most effective media of communication in rural community, especially in Eruwa community because of its mobile, portable, durable and cost effective nature the media possessed.
Finally, the programme that impacted positive things to the society will be attractive to its target and the media must produced a productive response to the needs of the target audience to stay long and not fold up since target audience needs change frequently, mostly to the people of Eruwa community to enjoy more patronage from the people.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Mass media is the means of communication used to reach large numbers of people in a short time. A message can be communicated to a mass audience by many means, they are: Weekly and daily newspapers, Magazines, billboards, Radio and television. Radio is the sense of sound whereas television and motion pictures appeal both to the visual and auditory senses.
According to Dennis and Defleur, “Mass media can be described as devices for moving messages across distance or time to accomplish mass communication”.
The term “Mass” is a reference to a large numbers of people while anything that transfers information from its source to the receiver is considered as a medium. That is the reason why mass media is described by Crystal in the Cambridge Encyclopedia as:-
“The means of producing and disseminating news, information and entertainment to a universal audience typically through the press (Newspapers, Magazines, Cinemas, Radios, Television and even Paperback Publishing).
The impact of mass media on social, political and cultural life in relation to the Eruwa community located in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State.
In mass media sector, the dissemination of information to inform, educate and entertain the people may leads to promotion of social, political and cultural life of the people.
In discharging its duties, the mass media towards the masses, may influence, orientate, educate and strengthen the behaviour of the people socially, politically and culturally. The social, political and cultural life in Eruwa community. The mass media could be well appreciated and commendable to the well-being of the people.
1.1 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
Problem may occur on social, political and cultural life of the people where the information disseminated by the mass media is not well understood. Problems may also occur where the information is injurious to the masses, have negative impact on the people or passes bias information and disrepute or defame the masses.
However, much has to be done on those problems in order to develop social, political and cultural life of the masses.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives or purposes or aims of this research work are as follows:
i. To determine the behaviour of the masses to the media.
ii. To investigate the reaction on the impact of mass media on social, political and cultural life.
iv. To ascertain the disposition of media.
