THE ROLE OF PRINT MEDIA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRASSROOTS SPORTS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The ways in which sport fills newspaper pages and magazine pages bears testimony to the influence it has on the structure and extent of media activity. The mass media entered the twentieth century with the emphasis on the printed word, print media has indeed become a principal leisure activity and source of information, it will gather our knowledge not only for our immediate world but also for the complex world we live in. it is however noted that the most important change that has taken place in sport industry is the significant role the media is playing in the development of sports in Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

In many ways, both today’s sports and the media are classic outcomes and indeed icons of the far­- reaching social economic and technological change that characterized the twentieth century. Each has developed extensively and rapidly as a major global industry. Each plays a significant part in structuring and informing people’s lives. Each has a global as well as more local scope of operation and has the structures and practices to reflect this, importantly, they are two industries tied together in complex networks of relationship.

Their respective histories of development have been increased and influenced by the dynamics of this partnership which is all too apparent. The wellbeing of particular sports or indeed, sport as whole has become linked to generate directly or indirectly from the media. The ways in which sport fills newspaper and magazine pages bears testimony to the influence it has on the structure and extent of media activity.

The mass media entered the twentieth century with the emphasis on the printed word, today in the early years of the twenty first century, there are new developments like the internet which have further extended media output but more recently, there has been a growth in specialist media sports products. The exposure to and consumption of media products including those concerned with sport, have increased dramatically. A center report has gone as far as to suggest that people in  the UK spend nine hours a day consuming media in its various forms with reading newspaper occupying the equivalent of a day a week (financial mail on Sunday, 31 Jan, 1991).

Print media has indeed become a principal leisure activity and source of information. Through it we gather our knowledge not only of our immediate world but also of the complex global village in which we now live, it acts as a key socialization agents and its integral to framing determing and influencing our picture of reality. Our experience of sport has become increasing constructed and ordered through newspaper output. It is however noted that, the most important change that has taken place in the sport industry is the significant role the media is playing in the development of sports all over the world.  It has also increase revenue generation which has enriched the various sports stakeholders. The mediahas been playing a catalysis role for the identification and promotion of knowledge, information and understanding in a nation.

The media is regarded as the means of communication through which a large number of people could be reached. This includes newspaper, magazines, handbills posters, television, radio, films, computer and internet. The print medias sharpens and re-orders the perception of the readers and viewers in a particular event or happening in the society and contributes to a reservoir of knowledge of the post and current events   pointed out that competitive sports world only survive and develop with the cooperation of  the media. It is for this reason that sports must enjoy good relationship with the press, radio and television. The relationship should be effective, continuous, personal and open.

It is in tandem with the above role of the media that this study is geared towards assessing the role the print media play in grassroots sports development in Nigeria.

1.0       Statement of the Problem

Sports have become big business. It is now a well-established global industry with various organizations attached to it. These international organizationsare all eager to promote and structure its development but not necessarily in all forms.

The media as one of these organizations have been seen to promote sport events, leagues, clubs and elite performers. Offering adverts slots that take in thousands of resources to their coffers.

Traditionally, the relationships between the media and sports have been keys to the development and growth of sports. The media have been the channel through which vital information such as match schedules, venues and times are aired and printed.

From the above, the role of the media in sports remain enormous, it is in the light of this that the study seeks to investigate how much the media have contributed in the development a grassroots sport in Nigeria with particular reference to the Sun and Complete Sports Newspapers.

1.1       Objective of Study

1)    To determine how much the sun and complete sport newspapers have aided the development of grassroots sport through reportage.

2)    To identify the challenges present in sun and complete sport newspaper from reporting local sports

3)    To determine the relationship between sun and complete sports newspapers and development grassroots sports.

1.2       Research Questions

The following research questions would be used to extract the required data from the field.

1)      How effective is Sun and Complete Sports newspapers in developing grassroots sports?

2)      Have Sun and Complete Sports newspapers contributed reasonably to the development of grassroots sports?

3)      Are there any constraints preventing Sun and Complete Sports newspapers from contributing to the development of grassroots sports?

1.3       Scope of the Study

To study all the print media coverage of grassroots sports in Nigeria would be quite tasking and unrealistic, given the limited resources and time at researcher disposal. Hence the scope of this study will be narrowed to the activities of sun and complete sports newspaper, coverage of grassroots sports.

1.4       Significance of the Study

This study shall be relevant in the following ways:

The findings of this study will provide answer to government on the way to engage the media for purpose of grassroots sports development.

Secondly, the study will contribute to literature on the role of the media sports growth and development at grassroots level.

Lastly, it will provide an insight into the challenges the media face in their coverage of grassroots sports

1.5       Limitation of the Study

The following limitations were experienced in the course of this research, are as follows

Some respondents failed to answer to the questioner shared even after the researcher visited there repeatedly.

The unfriendly suspicious attitudes exhibited by some people approached with the research instruments left the researcher with difficulties in gathering old publications of the newspaper.

1.6       Brief History of Sun Newspaper

The Daily Sun is a Nigerian daily print newspaper founded and published in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. As of 2011 The Sun had a daily print run of 130,000 copies, and 135,000 for weekend titles, with an average of 80% sales. This made The Sun the highest selling newspaper in Nigeria.

The Daily Sun was incorporated on 29 March 2001. It started production as a weekly on 18 January 2003, and as a daily on 16 June 2003. The target audience is young adults in the 18 – 45 years age bracket and in the B and C social economic class.The paper attempts to offer quality information. It is similar in format to the popular Sun newspaper of the United Kingdom.

The chairman of the publishing house is Dr. Orji UzorKalu, a former governor of Abia State. The first Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief was Mike Awoyinfa. In January 2010 there was a shake-up in which Tony Onyima succeeding Awoyinfa, and the original deputy editor, DimgbaIgwe, was replaced by Femi Adesina. Awoyinfa and Igwe remained as directors on the company’s board.

1.7       Brief History of Complete Sports Newspaper

Complete Sports (CS) is Nigeria’s number one all-sports daily newspaper. It was first published in December, 1995. It is the most-widely-read sports publication in Nigeria. (All Media and Product Survey (AMPS) research, 2008 and 2009).

Complete Sports (CS) is published by Complete Communications Limited (CCL). CCL is the oldest and longest-running sports publishing group in Nigeria. It was established in 1984 but incorporated as CCL in 1987.

Other publications in the CCL stable are Complete Football (CF) magazine (established in 1985) and International Soccer (i-Soccer) which was originally established as International Soccer Review (ISR) in 1990.

The group had also previously published Sports Souvenir, Nigeria’s first weekly sports newspaper (1984), Climax magazine (1988), Complete Football International (1994) and Complete Football Extra (1995).

The Online version Complete Sports was first introduced in 2005 as Nigerian Sports Online and was re-branded Complete Sports Nigeria in 2009. It is the foremost sports website for Nigerian's at home and in diaspora. It covers all sporting events with its main focus on Nigerian Footballer's in various leagues abroad.

1.8       Definition of Terms

Print media…..   The print media is the medium use in communicating messages to wide and scattered heterogeneous audience usually in print forms.

Sport…..This refers to a playful self-development, self-actualization, and competitive use of   physical and mental skills.

Development…..This is the permanent change that may occur as a result of advancement.

Grassroots…..     This can be said to be the ordinary people in a society or an organization.

Press….. The press is newspapers and magazines and those parts of television and radio which broadcast news or reporters and photographers who work for them.