CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
Mass media have been a major agent of socialisation
and tool for social change especially now that people depends on message from
mass media. The potential power of the mass media help solve social problems.
Television, Radio and Print Advertising can entice people to buy a wide range
of products and services, newspaper messages and advertisement influence our
ideas, values and behaviour.
According to conventional wisdom, it could be possible
to use mass media to get people to act on behalf of their own health and
well-being or to do right things. Based on this assumption, since World War II,
the Federal, State and Local Government, private foundations and other
non-governmental organizations have sponsored hundreds of public services
campaigns to promote social rather than commercial “goods” (Delong &
Winsten, 2000).
It is not surprising then that prevention advocates
would look to the mass media as an important aid in addressing the problem of cultism
in society. Most media campaign focused on college students cultism which have
been campus based, using a mix of posters, flyers, electronic mail messages and
college newspaper advertisement. More recently a few regional, state and
national media campaigns have begin to address this issue as well.
However, The last two decades has witnessed secret cult violence in
higher institutions in
Nigeria. Cult activities involving blood-letting and
waste of human lives have reached an
alarming proportion. Anxiety, agony,
anguish, destruction and death are the trademarks of
secret cult attacks.
Media
reports blaze the coverage of cult activities in educational institutions in Nigeria.
The
case of Benue State is particularly alarming when compared to the state of
cultism in other
Nigerian Universities such as the University of Ibadan,
University of Jos, University of
Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahamdu Bello University, etc.
Cult
activities have continued to thrive in Nigeria towers due to erroneous
impression of the
seeming invincibility of cults and their members. A major
factor working in the favour of cult
groups is mass ignorance on the part of
students, especially the new ones. These new students
are hood winked and
deceived into joining their “dead cemeteries”. Secret cults on campuses
are
completely empty and bereft of sound ideology.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
For over
two decades now, cultism has invaded the institutions of learning. Its
devastating effect on the schools and its environs have become a veritable
source of worry to those who have the interest of Nigeria at heart. As far back as 1990, universities, the government
and the press had began to raise alarm about the menace of secret cultism (Kalu
2001:2). A cartoon on the cover page of the Newswatch Magazine of March 28,
1994 lays credence to this claim. The said cartoon shows some dangerous-looking
dark figures with axes and daggers set to attack one another. According to Kalu
(2001:3), the pyrates which had existed since 1952 suffered a major schism in
1972 when thirty of its members
ceded and formed a competing band-the Buccaneers. Before long, other “denominations”
emerged with sinister motives engaging in the use of knives, axes, guns and
other deadly weapons to turn the land into a violent place. Prominently, in the
decade of 1985-1995, there was an upsurge
in the growth or proliferation of cultism as a total number of forty-five cult
groups could be identified in the various schools in Nigeria. By this time, the
higher institutions of learning have started springing up and so, the state
began to feature vaguely in the issue of cultism as it affects these higher institutions as well.
How well can mass media as a vehicle for information
dissemination be relied upon to perform its role in the society, to join hand
in the battle against cultism?
How can the power of the mass media be used
effectively to reduce cultism activities among people? To explore that
question, this research begins by reviewing three types of television and radio
campaigns focused on cultism activities; information, social norms marketing
and advocacy.
These and many more questions is what the study is out
to find answers to.
1.3 PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The overall purpose of this study is to find out the
current trend of cultism among the undergraduate students in Nigeria and
analyse the strategies used to address the problem, with the mass media site, television
and radio stations in view. The specific objectives of the study are as
follows;
1.
To
examine impact of awareness of media campaign on cultism among undergraduates among
Nigeria youth.
2.
To
identify and evaluate strategies used among undergraduate to address cultism ,
their effectiveness and shortcomings.
3.
To
examine whether television and radio stations educate and enlighten the general
public in cultism .
4.
To
know if mass media awareness on cultism has reduced the unlawful cultism
activities in society.
5.
To
examine if television and radio stations present adequate information on effect
of cultism to the people in society.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
That this study is
important cannot be over stressed. This task is being embarked upon because of
the following significances:
i.
The study will help one to know the
origin of campus cultism in Nigeria.
ii.
It is
designed to bring to the fore, the reasons why cultism thrive on our
campuses despite efforts to stop it.
iii. To
examine the efforts of other researchers so far as regards cultism.
iv.
The research work will put the position
and the plight of the cultist into proper lime-light and profer solutions for
their escape.
v.
The study will enable each member of the
society to wake up to his or her
responsibilities in the fight against cultism.
vi.
The research will expose the failings of
the child, the parent, the teacher, the government and the society at large. This discovery will pose a challenge
to those who are responsible in one way or the other to amend their ways.
The
study will also further the course of scholarship in Nigeria and beyond.
1.5 RESEARCH
QUESTION
The following are the research questions of the study;
1.
Has
mass media awareness on cultism reduce the unlawful cultism activities in the
society?
2.
Do
television and radio stations educate and enlighten the general public on the
bad effect of cultism?
3.
Is
there any problem facing television and radio stations in creating awareness in
cultism ?
4.
What
are effects of cultism in the society?
1.6 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The study has been limited to television and radio
stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria. The research focuses on the
impact of mass media in creating awareness about cultism.
1.7 LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
Wide research of this nature cannot be carried out
without some constrains, this constrains pose a lot of limitation to this work.
1.
Duration
for the research work is relatively short
2.
Stress
emanated form other academic activities is also another constrain.
3.
Financial
constrain poses another challenges.
1.8 DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Mass
Media: These are means of communication to a larger audience.
These are represented by radio, television, newspaper and magazine.
Media: It refers to various means of communication.
Creating
Awareness: It means making it known to the public or popular.
Impact: The
effect or impression of one thing on another and also the power of making a
strong immediate impression.
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