APPLICATION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN MANAGING POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (A STUDY OF SOUTH-SOUTH POLITICAL ZONE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

          Political communication researchers in the United States and Europe, as well as to a much lesser extent in other regions of the world, have studied the use of public relations by political contenders in elections in great detail (Bimber, 2020; Hermans & Vergeer, 2013). Scholars have tried to comprehend what transformational implications digital technologies may be having on how politicians communicate information, engage the public, and generate support from voters as more people have better access to them. The term "digital media," which is used to refer to internet and mobile phone technology, has received attention for its alleged ability to change politics. There have been significant studies of newspaper, radio, film, and television at some point for their originality and potential political consequences (Manovich, 2019). Scholarly focus shifted to how the "new" digital media would affect political life at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Allowing individuals to vote for their leaders is one of the key signs that a nation conducts democracy. Consequently, a democratic nation should provide free-flowing public information throughout an election campaign and should be impartial and fair to all party members.Media in a democracy should focus on informing the public about various political issues, and millions of people must have unfettered access to it. The absence of face-to-face encounters, which are crucial for getting to know political candidates during elections, is the main disadvantage of a media-centered democracy. Another drawback is that candidates frequently overspend on pricey television advertisements. Therefore, a television ad campaign using traditional media is expensive.Due to the low cost of using it, candidates are able to make significant use of new media, particularly the internet during the campaign.

Time has changed to reflect the new period and emerging technology. The ability to communicate and share knowledge has never been greater thanks to technology breakthroughs. Previously, manual elections were used, but now they are automated, and electoral campaigns are given a wider and greater level of coverage using various public relation platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and others (Inocian, Rosaroso, & De Vera, 2017).

According to Dewey (1954), through the information spread by the candidates' campaigns, voters are more likely to support the candidates who shared their concerns. Additionally, campaign activities have an impact on voters and can affect or influence voters' issue preferences and candidate evaluations. News coverage of elections is prevalent and may have influenced votes. Setting the agenda offers a helpful framework and significant factors when it comes to voting decisions (Abbe et al., 2018). Kiousis et al. (2015) claim that when issues become relevant in voters' eyes, voters are ready to use these issues as benchmarks for judging candidates for office.

Due to the digital world of today, there are no barriers preventing communication and the flow of information with regards to time and geography. This is a universally acknowledged fact. Information and communication technologies are acknowledged as two of the major forces behind development and growth on a global scale (Nation, 2015). The argument in favor of voter-politician interaction seems to be evolving. This is due to the dynamic between offline and online media as well as between old and new media, which created an area defined by a vast deal of information and communication avenues rather than the general state of information and communications technology in society(Engelstad, et al., 2017).

Technology advancement can affect both people and politicians, who are expected to deal with it, say Barley and Tolbert (2017). They concentrate on their objectives and the method by which they apply new technology.

In addition to providing a forum through which those who are politically inclined can readily spread information among a potentially uninterested public, public relations can also result in coincidental exposure to political communication. Just as in-person opinion leaders did before the internet, public relations platforms may be used to spread the agenda of the mass media to a bigger audience through casual exposure and online opinion leaders. Additionally, opinion leaders' contributions to information dissemination through public relations may hasten the agenda-setting impacts in particular(Feezell, 2018).

In this election season, politicians recognized the need to modernize and purposefully positioned themselves outside of the conventional forms of campaigning in the public relations space, where millions of Filipinos are actively using information and starting conversations. Politicians who have realized how important it is to use public relations as a tool to further their own objectives have used the power of public relations to influence the public as a crucial platform.Recently, a growing number of Filipinos have entered the field of public relations, making it important to Filipinos in their daily lives. More than 23 million Filipinos used the internet during the 2020 elections, according to www.InternetLiveStats.com. Additionally, the public relations website estimates that 49 million Filipinos use Facebook on a monthly basis, or nearly half of the nation's population, as of the 2016 elections. With these technical means at their disposal, politicians may use public relations as a platform for their campaigns with only their creativity as a limit (Dangla, 2016).

The expansion of online news in the early 2020s brought about a new set of difficulties. The structure of modern public relations platforms, like Facebook, is entirely different from that of prior media technology. Users can share content without significant third-party vetting, fact-checking, or editorial oversigh (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017). There is a great deal of concern regarding the part that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter play in spreading false information during political campaigns. These technologies are widely used, and inaccurate information is one of their most prominent uses(Garrett, 2019).

Politicians had hitherto struggled to gain notoriety, or to have their opinions and likenesses printed in the media. This demonstrates the constrained path that politicians take prior to the development of contemporary public relations techniques. Modern public relations professionals have developed a planned and persistent effort aimed at generating goodwill and mutual understanding between individuals, organizations, groups, communities, and their publics in accordance with the new trends of packaging for political advantages.Despite effort by researchers to examine the role of new media in political activities in Nigeria, there still exist a dearth in literature about the application of public relation  in political activities in Nigeria. It is based on this background that the present study seeks to examine the application of public relations in managing political activities a case of study of  south-south political zone Nigeria.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

          The route by which information is presented to voters and the general populace has been a problem over the last 50 years since democracy became apparent in Nigeria, where people were free to choose who they wanted to present it to, as the people do not even get the information about what is happening in their favourite party candidates. Political parties that ought to be the closest to the public in providing information on political developments are unable to do so due to a lack of effective public relations. Major political problems, including electoral rigging, violence, and the failure of the people's choice to win an election in Nigeria, have all been attributed to this problem.Therefore,political parties must use public relations tools and strategies to ensure, maintain, and sustain mutual respect, mutual recognition, mutual understanding, mutual relationship, and building goodwill between a political party and her various publics in order to accomplish this feat. As a result, political parties encounter the following issues with their campaign plans.

          Campaign planning, budgeting, fundraising, rallies, advertising, image and reputation management, media relations, identity management, and more; campaign execution and evaluation. The growing use of mobile phones and the internet in Nigeria, as in the majority of African nations, has sparked expectations that these cutting-edge technology can strengthen developing democracies.Sub-Saharan Africa has seen some of the fastest growth rates in mobile phone and internet penetration in the world over the past ten years, for example, in Nigeria, where mobile phone subscribers have increased from just over 866,000 in 2019 to over 150 million active lines as of July 2015.Internet users increased from 200,000 to 93 million during the same time period (NCC, 2015). These innovations have increased election quality by making them more effective and transparent. As a result, elections in Nigeria and across the continent are becoming steadily more peaceful (Garrett, 2019). The application of public relations in managing political activities a case of study of  south-south political zone Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

          The main objective of this study was to examine the application of public relations in managing political activities a case of study of  south-south political zone Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To evaluate the impact of the use of public relation on political activities south-south political zone Nigeria.

2. To examine the need for an effective public relations in political activities south-south political zone Nigeria.

3. To identify the various public relations strategies used during political activities south-south political zone Nigeria.

4. To determine the extent to which political parties and politicians use public relations as a tool for winning voters’ support in south-south political zone Nigeria.

5. To ascertain the if there is a relationship between use of public relation and political activities in south-south political zone Nigeria

1.4 Research Questions

          The following questions will guide this study;

1. What is the extent in which the use of public relation impact on political activities south-south political zone Nigeria?

2. What are the  need for an effective public relations in political activities south-south political zone Nigeria?

3. What are the various public relations strategies used during political activities south-south political zone Nigeria?

4. What is the  extent to which political parties and politicians use public relations as a tool for winning voters’ support in south-south political zone Nigeria?

5. Is there a relationship between use of public relation and political activities in south-south political zone Nigeria?

1.5 Significance of the study

          The significance of this research will be determined by how valuable it is to political parties, legislators, electorates, scholars, and the general public.

The study's conclusions will first aid political parties in understanding the necessity of identifying, creating, choosing, implementing, and assessing the campaign strategies that will lead to electoral success.

The results of this study will also make political parties aware of the public relations techniques that may be used to foster and maintain understanding amongst the various publics.

The results of this study will also help a politician stand out from the competition and get through image and reputation management issues.

The results of this study will also be useful to the electorate, particularly in the area of political parties' corporate social responsibility.

The results of this study will aid in better educating, sensitizing, mobilizing, and entertaining the electorate.     

Finally, in terms of academic work, the results of this study will be used as a source of information by researchers doing related investigations in the future. It will rightfully inspire more interest in advancing current studies.

1.6 Delimitation of the study

          The study will cover the application of public relations in managing political activities a case of study of  south-south political zone of  Nigeria, namely; Akwa Ibom, Rivers State, Cross Rivers State andDelta State.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

          The researcher encountered the following logistical and physical constraints in addition to financial and time constraints. Access to information and materials that would have aided in producing a higher-quality and more dependable piece of work was denied to the researcher.

Additionally, the researcher had a tough time finding the registered Nigerian political parties' offices in the states under investigation.

There are too many politicians in the South South States of Nigeria, making it difficult and expensive for researchers to visit each one of their residences.

Finally, the majority of the issued questionnaires had incomplete or partial responses. Repeat visits to those he gave questionnaires to cost the researcher a lot of time and money.