CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background to the study Technology has revolutionized all facets of communication during the past decades. Access to the people and information practically anywhere in the world has been quicker, cheaper and easier.
Awake (2002), the dynamic nature of the 2ls century and more centuries to come rests on technological revolution. No wonder, Marshall Mcluhan, a Canadian scholar in 1964 propounded the concept of “Global Village” regarding the entire global as having the potentials of becoming a global community where information and news about anywhere in the world would be readily available for anyone’s consumption in any part of the world.
Without mincing worlds, the impact of International Network (Internet) in achieving this feat cannot be underestimated. Research has shown that some Three hundred thousand (300,000) new users get connected to the internet every week. In 1999, it was estimated that seven hundred million (700,000,000) people were expected to come online by the year 2001. Awake (Op cit).
Meanwhile, there are presently over one billion computers connected worldwide. That come to tell us the enormity and wide range of opportunities abound in accessing news and information via the internet. Through the internet super high way, it is now possible for a person to live in Nigeria, work in Japan, school in the United state of America, attend meetings in Australia, bank in the United Kingdom and shop in Europe or any other part of world on daily basis (NACETEM) The contribution of the internet to every facet of human endeavour does not leave any stone unturned but cut across every little thing that we suggest among which are banking, health, education, economy and finance governance just to mention a few.
Newspaper, our focus in this study is not an exemption in the dynamism Information Technology (I T) has brought to the human race. The Oxford Advance Learner’ s Dictionary (2005) simply defines newspaper as “a set of large printed sheets of paper containing news, articles, advertisement .etc. and published every day or every week. In relation to the above definition it could be safely said that online newspapers are the publications of print media (Newspapers) that are made available on the internet which can be easily passed across the world.
Super High Way for near and far, national and international audience. Online Newspaper can be considered as a major advancement in communication that has led to a high quality and improved ways.
Newspapers are recognized as print media in communication. Unarguably, the internet is traceably gaining acceptance in online newspaper in more centuries.
Thus, a newspaper is a periodic publication containing reports of latest happening, it is bound and folded but not usually stapled. The information technology revolution, which has turned the entire universe to a global village is now at the heart of communication.
Online Newspapers is made possible as a result of interconnection of computers worldwide. The I T revolution has not only helped in print media but also contributed immensely to the other communication endeavours.
The world is changing day by day. Also, human communication devices and processes are not static.
Before the advent of print technology, information of news is by passing and dissemination, each community has its own way of passing information to its members that is, the traditional communication through Obas, chief with the use of Oba’s message town crier. The message source is the traditional rulers the message is sent through the town crier to the people to inform them of an important event. Not all town criers make use of gong, bell but some use drum or speech etc. More often than not this message is been disseminated in the market place because several people will be there to listen to the message.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The adoption of new inventions and change is usually a thing of great concern in the Third world countries of which Nigeria is one. Hence as a result of the introduction of online newspaper, a phenomenon seemed to have been embraced and taken its, firm root in some media organization particularly print media the country.
This research work is however set to probe into the audience awareness, accessibility as well as patronage of online newspapers.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
- To know if students are aware of online newspapers and news blogs?
- To examine whether students have access to online newspapers or news blogs?
- To know the kind of information or news students seek in online newspapers?
- To study if there is any factor limiting or militating students access to online newspapers/News blogs?
- To know how often do students patronize online newspapers/news blogs?
- To examine the benefit which newspaper industries derive in placing their news online?
- To x-ray the negative effect of online news to newspaper industries
1.4 Research Questions
To assist in carrying this research, the under listed research questions are hereby formulated:
- Do students aware of online newspapers and news blogs?
- Do students have access to online newspapers and news blog?
- What kind of information or news do people seek in online newspapers/news blogs?
- Is there any factor limiting or militating students’ access to online newspapers/ news blog?
- How often do students patronize online newspapers/news blogs?
- Is there any benefit derieve by newspaper industries in placing their news online?
- Is there any negative effect of online news to newspaper industries?
1.5 Significance of the Study
Considering the prevalent Information Technology (IT) revolution and the rate at which it has transformed all facets of human endeavours, there is the need to increase the awareness and patronage of online newspapers and audience. In view of the foregoing, this research work is significant in many respects.
One, the study would seem to afford newspaper organizations the opportunity to work out modalities with a view to increasing audience awareness as well as patronage of online newspapers.
Secondly, the study is also significant in that would expose more people to the existence of online newspapers. This will turn to boost the awareness and facilitate the patronage of online newspaper especially among those who are ignorant of the development.
Also, it is hoped that this research work would essentially help to reveal to the audience, the benefits gratifications of online newspaper that combines text with quality and improve graphics as well as photographic items.
With this view, it is believed that the study would not only seem to be significant in stimulating not audience awareness accessibility and patronage of online newspaper but would also help facilitate further enquiry and research on the topic.
1.6 Scope of the Study
In the pursuance of the research work without recourse to other areas of communication or geography (population), this study will only extend and limit its tentacles to the assessment of online newspaper in relation to audience awareness, accessibility and patronage of online newspapers, using the students of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree as the selected population.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
It is not an overstatement that a work of this nature cannot be carried out without some hard experience, however below are some of the constrains to this work.
There are many limitations ranging form not knowing where to start, not knowing who to consult or approach for materials not knowing what next to write in various segment of this study and not actually knowing who to put me through in achieving my work and others are:
- Stress from other academic activities is one of the limitations to the research work
- Financial constraint to travel to different places .
- Duration for the research work is relatively short
- Materials that are available on this topic is relatively small as the concept is new or people are not written from that angle.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The terms would be defined as they are related to the research work.
Communication: Is the act of transmitting information idea and attitude from one person to another.
Online Newspaper: Are those publications of print media (Newspapers) that are made available on the internet.
Audience: Is a number of information consumers that bread newspaper (Oxford Popular Dictionary).
Awareness: The Oxford Popular Dictionary defined awareness as the art of being in the know how or having knowledge or conscious of something.(e .g. Online newspapers).
Accessibility: The right opportunity or means of approach or online newspapers.
Patronage: The art of seeking the service of online newspapers.
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