IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON MASS MEDIA (A CASE STUDY OF COOL FM PORT HARCOURT RIVERS STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The term information technology or IT refers to an entire industry. In reality, information technology is the use of computers and software to maintain and manage information.

Information Technology is seen to be a force to be configured with in the 21st century because it has caused and continues to cause significant changes in our lives. Taking it to the mass media, ICT has given life and provoked extreme and drastic changes that has influenced and restructured the broadcast industry, specifically, in vicinity and timeliness of news. Information Technology did not just facilitate and improve the creation, processing, sharing and spreading of information in the media industry but the immediacy and timeliness of news is of a number one priority.

Since the introduction of Information technology, there have been drastic changes in every profession one can think of. Today a good number of computerized sources are regularly being used in media organizations. The introduction of information technology has created a lot of opportunities and brought forth challenges for traditional media. Much of the world’s information is becoming computerized; the challenging new content involves new technologies to basic communication process like human perception, cognition and expression. Information technology has hugely transformed the social relations and economics to a large extent that economic and cultural observations have been minimized. The continuous use of the information technologies in mass media has made the media effective force in deciding political, economic, social and cultural development and giving matchless progress in the quality, speed and popularity of the amount of information and circulation. Globalization gives the circulationof information technologies a different and brand new definition and also creates a worldwide market with vivid planned incentives for the adoption of information technologies. Both forces i.e. information technology and mass media will have tremendous outcomes which go beyond the economic context of the present. They are more likely to have a deep influence on the social and cultural consequences of society in years and many years to comeThe explosion in new media forms has caught the attention of communication scholars in the latter half of the 1990s. With the increase force of users looking for information in new places, the mass media industry as a whole seem to have moved to keep their audience attention by increasingly going on line to offer news qualitative aspect is the unique possibility of the internet to supply links to story sources. Reporters and editors use of the internet stories, find new sources, receive press release and information, update breaking news, interviews sources an engage in discussions, arguments with readers has reached record levels. The more experience users have with the internet, technology, the more often they go online.

Information is therefore a process brought into existence whereby information and communication technologies rules cultural and civic progress of civilization. Earlier, thoughts and technologies took centuries to circulate across the globe, not moments.

Without being prevented, with ICT, information circulationendlessly becomes faster and cheaper and always available. Before now, there was a huge and well pronounced time intervalseparating the point when an event took place, and the time when the news may be publicly made available. But, ICT, has helped bridge the time interval between when an event took place and the time it is made available to the public. Information and Communication Technology is a term used to express the convergence of telecommunications, information, broadcasting and communications. In the past few years, Information and Communication Technology has drastically transformed the world in all areas of life. It’s paramount for minimizing manual operations and encouraging growth in the media. This study will focus on impact of information technology on mass media.

STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

The poor development of the mass media in Nigeria has called for the urgent and effectively consideration of all measures including information technology just to improve mass media growth and development so as to be able to compete favourably in the media world. The poor state of mass media in the country has led ill news reporting/dissemination and unprofessionalism in the media sector thereby causing tension in the polity.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the impact of information technology on mass media in Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the study include the following;

1. To examine the level of technology in the Nigerian mass media sector.
2. To highlight the benefits of information technology in mass media in Nigeria.
3. To assess the challenges of information technology in mass media.
4. To examine the relationship between information technology and mass media in Nigeria.
5. To recommend ways of improving mass media practice in Nigeria through information technology.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the level of technology in the nigerian mas media sector.
2. What are the benefits of information technology in mass media in Nigeria?
3. What are the challenges of information technology in mass media?
4. What is the relationship between information technology and mass media in Nigeria?
5. What is the impact of information technology on mass media in Nigeria?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

H0: Information technology has no significant impact on mass media practices in Nigeria.

H1: Information technology has significant impact on mass media practices in Nigeria.

H0: There is no significant relationship between information technology and the development of mass media in Nigeria.

H1: There is a significant relationship between information technology and the development of mass media in Nigeria.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study would be of immense importance towards the development of mass media practice in Nigeria as it would critically examine the impact of information technology on mass media practice in Nigeria. the study would also be of immense importance to students, researchers and educational scholars who are interested in developing further studies on the subject matter through the provision of related literature.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is restricted to the impact of information technology on mass media in Nigeria using the cool fm port Harcourt, Rivers state as a case study.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

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.