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FOREIGN MASS MEDIA AND REPRESENTATION OF NIGERIA IMAGE:
Study of selected Foreign Television.
A project submitted in partial fulfilment
of the award of Master of Science Degree in Mass Communication.
By OMOBA KENNETH AIGBEGBELE
ABSTRACT
Foreign mass media and their representation of Nigeria’s image has been a subject of wide discussion, for decades. Thus, this study examined foreign mass media and representation of Nigeria’s image with focus on foreign television stations. The media framing theory and agenda setting theory served as the theoretical basis for the study. The study adopted two research designs: Survey and Participatory Observation method of research. A sample size of 385 was drawn from the population comprising all residents of Cross River, Delta and Rivers State by means of the Australian Sample Size Calculator of the National Statistical Service (NSS). The population of the study for the participatory observation conducted was 29. Data generated found that South-South residents’ level of exposure to foreign stations is high, and this is as they often view the foreign stations at mostly 1-2 hours each day. Nigerians perceive the television stations’ representation of Nigeria which is on the negative direction as appropriate. They rate the representation to be on the average, whereas to a high extent, the stations’ representation of Nigeria’s image contributes to her negative perception. From the findings of the study, it is recommended, among other things, that Nigerian government should step up in addressing the challenges of insecurity, corruption, electoral violence, poor infrastructure, among others, that make up the reports of the foreign television stations, and the Federal Government should produce documentaries that show the positive sides of Nigeria, and work towards having them broadcast on the foreign stations.
Key Words: Foreign Mass Media, Representation, Image, Foreign Television
Introduction
The broad communications fill in as a window through which individuals see the world. This is fundamentally essential for the reasons individuals depend on the media to be side by side of happenings inside and outside their current circumstance, including different nations. Chukwu (2020) noticed that media involve a basic situation in the working of the different areas of some random country. Human culture perceives and acknowledges, throughout the long term, that the broad communications as purveyors of valuable data, suppositions, demeanour, encounters, thoughts, and culture.
In validation of the above, Ate (2009) clarifies that the essential capacity of the broad communications framework is to give data to a few great many individuals. They can influence the general public as well as the other way around as Anim (2007, p. 1) referred to in Edogor (2012) noticed. The broad communications are the modern method for public correspondence and quite a bit of their significance lies in the way that they are the significant reason for sorts of discernment, thought, public talk, and some political activities.
Unfamiliar broad communications flourish with worldwide correspondence. Adekunle (2006) as referred to in Aina (2003) states that worldwide correspondence means the correspondence trade or connection rising above public, political, social, and financial limits and it is worked with by the reliance of countries, gatherings, and people. Adekunle (2006) sees that main few TV slots in the Western world overwhelm the scene. The inclusion of worldwide occasions like conflicts, infection episode, social distress, sports, and strategies are at their kindness. They, in any case, dole out what they think about right data to the worldwide local area.
Adekunle illustrated prominent unfamiliar TV slots to include: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable News Network (CNN) and Al Jazeera. As indicated by James, Akarika and Kieran (2017) TV is a persuasive vehicle of mass correspondence, because of its sound and visual possibilities. With an unobtrusive start during the 1930s, TV developed into a huge organization of mass correspondence and mass diversion in this day and age.
Michira (2002) asserted that the Western world showcase a critical absence of information about Africa. A large number of them never visited Africa, and maybe, never will. Nonetheless, to them, the majority of them have certain pictures of Africa that they hold to be “valid” or “genuine” The well-known picture of Africa by the West is that Africa is a dull landmass generally attacked by wars, illnesses and neediness. The African mainland is portrayed as the “reliant Africa,” “emergency driven Africa and “miserable” or “pitiable Africa.” They have these pictures graciousness of the Western media portrayal of Africa, through TV programs, web, narratives, and movies, among others. This study focuses on unravelling how foreign mass media, especially foreign television stations, represent Nigeria’s image.
1.2. Proclamation of the Problem
The general media nature of TV makes individuals to acclimatize effectively to reports and messages broadcast on the medium. Subsequently, many individuals are relied upon to swallow the portrayal of the picture painted on TVs without exposing them to reasonableness, honesty and objectivity tests. James, Akarika and Kieran (2017) express that unfamiliar projects are well known and generally acknowledged, maybe, without pressure on the grounds that the tip top in the non-industrial countries – like Nigeria – discovered the qualities in the unfamiliar projects appealing.
Adegbola, Skarda-Mitchell and Gearhart (2018) takes note of that Nigeria, throughout the long term, experiences the adverse inclusion of US media which accidentally gives an awful picture of the nation and her kin. However, Lipman (1922) as referred to in Okunna (2002, p. 21) asserts that the media help to “put pictures in our minds.” Thus, the photos of starvation of youngsters, sicknesses, wars, destitution, psychological warfare, debasement, among others, which most unfamiliar media focus on in their reportage of Nigeria make a deplorable picture of the country.
This examination, hence, sets out on an exact enquiry to validate or disprove the above cases of portrayal of Nigeria in the unfamiliar media. Along these lines, this examination is set to look at Nigerians’ impression of chose unfamiliar TV slots’ portrayal of the nation’s picture somewhere in the range of 2015 and 2019. With the accessible data to the researcher, there is no previous study that concentrated on the subject matter.
Objectives of the Study
This study generally aims to find the true representation of Nigeria’s image as broadcast on foreign television stations. Specifically, this study seeks to:
To determine the level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations
To ascertain the frequency of Nigerians’ viewership of foreign television stations
To find out how Nigerians’ perceive the television stations’ representation of the country’s image
To fathom Nigerians rating of different foreign television stations in their order of poor representation of the country’s image
To establish whether Nigerians believe that foreign television stations’ representation of the country’s image contribute to the negative perception of the country in the world
Research Questions
The research questions guiding this study include the following:
- What is the level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations?
- What is the frequency of Nigerians’ viewership of foreign television stations?
- How does Nigerians perceive the television stations’ representation of the country’s image?
- What is Nigerians rating of different foreign television stations in their order of poor representation of the country’s image?
- Do Nigerians believe that foreign television stations’ representation of the country’s image contributes to its negative perception in the world?
Research Hypotheses
Asemah, Gujbawu, Ekhareafo and Okpanachi (2012, p. 54) state that “hypothesis is seen as a declarative statement or an educated guess concerning the outcome of a research exercise. The hypothesis is therefore an expectation about events based on generalization of the assumed relationship between the variables.”
Hence, this study was based on the following null hypotheses:
Hypothesis One
H0: The level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations is low
H1: The level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations is high
Hypothesis Two
H0: The extent foreign stations’ representation of the country’s image contribute to the negative perception of the country is very low
H1: The extent foreign stations’ representation of the country’s image contribute to the negative perception of the country is very high
1.6 Literature Review
1.6.1 International Media
Adekunle (2006) notes that worldwide media framework is straightforwardly corresponding to the political and financial strategies in various districts of the globe. Moreover, Adekunle (2006) set that neighbourhood news might be introduced by independent nearby TV stations, neighbourhood stations subsidiary to public organizations or by neighbourhood studios which ‘quit’ public organization programming at indicated focuses. It is through public organization that worldwide correspondence is regularly accomplished. Distinctive news projects might be focused on various crowds, contingent upon age, financial gathering or those from specific areas of society.
Adekunle (2006) affirms that worldwide telecom came from the need to make a between local area trade of data among nations of the world. This was motivated by the disclosure of radio first, then, at that point TV later in the twentieth century. Further innovative progression in the space of the web achieved media synchronization that massively further developed correspondence across borders through the transmission wireless transmissions. Broadcasting has, accordingly, become progressively significant in worldwide correspondence since the appearance of radio.
Worldwide correspondence media are the supporting way of thinking of global telecom. Onabajo (2000) notices a contrast among global and unfamiliar telecom. He affirms that while global telecom is focused on equitably making between local area trade of data through different means, unfamiliar telecom is an abstract way to deal with program beneficiaries of transmission data, accordingly instilling them into outsider socio-social, political and monetary philosophies (Kamalipour, 2007).
Worldwide telecom incorporates shortwave radio administrations, for example, the World Service of the British Broadcasting Service (BBC); Voice of America (VOA); Radio France International (RFI); Deutshe Welle (DW) while global TV broadcasting incorporates satellite TV channels, for example, the Cable News Network (CNN), BBC World, Al Jazeera, Fox News, China Central Television (CCTV) France 24 B sky B (Sky News) among others. This postulation centres around CNN, BBC World, Al Jazeera, CCTV and Fox News.
1.6.2 Nigeria’s Negative Image
Nigeria is a country that has encountered harmed global standing and a long standing picture issue that came about because of unsavoury human exercises. Experts and researchers have concurred that the negative activities and articulations of Nigerian pioneers and residents all the while influence her public and worldwide personality and picture. This can likewise be called public picture which Isaac (2007) referred to in Odoemelam (2010) saw as a bunch of thoughts, occasions and perspectives a nation is related with in the global local area. It additionally implies those ascribes, impacts, signs, images, activities and so forth by which one might portray a nation or country.
Agunbiade and Ayotunde (2011) noticed that some awful picture of Nigeria came about because of the new series of fear monger exercises credited to strict orders, for example, Boko Haram which is inexactly interpreted as ‘western instruction is illegal’. Yina (2009) depicts a bleak image of the depiction of the Nigeria as a bombed country, with battered standing and negative exposure.
Ojo and Aghedo (2013) commented that Nigeria’s standing is at its least ebb. Expanding on crafted by certain experts and public pundits, they seemingly portrayed Nigerians in everyday terms as criminally disapproved. These allegations have more extensive implications and outcomes on the picture of the country.
In any case, Ojo and Aghedo (2013) are of the assessment that there are conscious endeavours to emphatically assemble the nation’s picture. They named achievements in endurance senses; an affection forever; great followership/impersonation; ability in soccer, UN peacekeeping drives and beautifications of Nigerian officials for praiseworthy help; creative and venturesome individuals; and energetic interest in instruction.
Akinboye (2013) stated that until the public authority shows earnestness in battling defilement, Nigeria will not be viewed in a serious way at the worldwide level. He additionally recognized psychological oppression and insurrection to be different wellsprings of the picture emergency in Nigeria, implying that until the principal home-grown wellsprings of Nigeria’s picture emergency have been handled, Nigeria’s desire to be a territorial persuasive country will stay a dream. This position taken by Akinboye (2013) joins with Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International (2019); it positioned her 146th out of 180 nations all around the world (Transparency International, 2019).
1.6.4 Nigeria’s Image and International Media Organizations
Nigeria has gone through intricate political, social and financial rebuilding. The battle has been muddled that the outer world has regularly confounded the country’s activities and has either attacked or even by and large censured her (Atewolara-Odule, Ojo, and Akinreti, 2016). The nation has raised explicit worries for the example of the undermined news stream rising up out of the strength of Western news organizations who disperse deficient news that has solid negative impact on her inside frameworks. Nigeria is depicted as a degenerate ridden country that has no possibility of turning into an incredible country (Ayobami, 2014).
The ceaseless misappropriation and plundering of public depository by government top functionaries and political office holders is a sign to this reality. The pundits stated that debasement has eaten profound into the country’s financial textures (Philip, 2013). Joblessness pace of the country has expected a disturbing condition past what a right reasoning individual can concede as truth. They are of the assessment that jobless alumni and jobless youth littered everywhere of the nation (Emeh, 2014). Obviously, Nigeria’s experience of illegal intimidation ought not be a celebration of analysis according to the unfamiliar outside media. Since illegal intimidation is a worldwide issue that numerous nations on the planet are encountering particularly agricultural nations (Oviasogie, 2013).
The worldwide media are organizations of tip top force and predominance, with deference not exclusively to people in general everywhere, yet in addition to other first class foundations. Iyorza (2018) notes that Nigerian young people favour western clothing types like suit, coats and in vogue wears designed after the upsides of western societies. Despite the fact that some climate conditions warrant these wears, the routine tendency to western ways of life to the detriment of the Nigerian customary ways of life adds up to social reception by the Nigerian adolescents.
Kur and Edegoh (2011) analyzed “Unfamiliar Media Coverage of Communal Conflicts in Nigeria: Implications for Effective Conflict Management.” The examination holds that negative unfamiliar media report of contention in Nigeria hosts the propensity of making the gatherings to the contention not to pursue agreeable goal of the contention. Utilizing the Jos clashes for instance, numerous Western media, including CNN, VOA and BBC announced that the endemic Jos emergency is strict. The examination contended that such reports came when significant partners in the emergency had transparently said that the culprits of the emergency were stowing away under religion to cause viciousness. Such report by unfamiliar media has the inclination of disturbing the circumstance, thinking about the instability and affectability of strict issues in Nigeria.
1.7 Review of Related Empirical Studies
Some different specialists have done investigations on unfamiliar broad communications and portrayal of Nigeria’s picture and likewise African picture already. A portion of these investigations are evaluated in this part. In a review research on the U.S. Broad communications Portrayal of the African Continent: The African point of view by Manya (2016) investigates how Africans see their landmass is depicted by U.S. media, and Africans’ opinion on these depictions. Africa is a landmass known in the United States and other Western countries for dimness, wars, starvation and different indecencies.
Malaolu (2012) in his own exploration, named “Media Representation and Democracy in Africa: A basic examination of UK news media’s portrayal of Nigeria’s majority rule government, 1997-2007.” The work researched the portrayal of Nigeria in the British news media. It questions the impact of sources, the effect of sources-media relations and their immediate outcomes on the development as information on Nigeria’s financial and human advancement files, which further sign the heading of portrayal of the world’s most crowded dark country.
Asekun-Olarinmoye et al. (2014) in their examination analysed the effect of worldwide telecom on Africa. The review research strategy was applied to gather information with the organized survey as the exploration instrument. 150 respondents who were purposively chosen from Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt were managed the poll online through the surveymonkey.com site. Discoveries uncovered that Cable News Network (CNN) is the favoured worldwide TV news station of 41% of the respondents followed by Al Jazeera (32%), China Central Television (18%) and BBC World (9%). Moreover, 60% of the respondents showed that this example of inclusion gave the mainland a negative discernment as well as demolished her financial troubles. The examination inferred that a long time after the New World Information and Communication Order banter was refreshed, negative inclusion of the mainland perseveres in the amazing worldwide TV news channels.
Oriola (2017) in his examination “Global Broadcasting and Western Media Framing of African Countries” analysed the unevenness in the progression of data between the West and the remainder of the world. This has prompted a disproportionate inclusion of Africa as a locale of the world generally reliant upon the West for broadcast framework, items and mastery. The lop-sidedness has prompted negative and mutilated outlining of Africa by Western-based transmission associations.
In a comparable report, named “Africa in American Media: A Content Analysis of Newsweek Magazine’s Portrayal of Africa, 1988-2006” Kunihira (2007) through the perspective of practical hypothesis, dissected how Africa is depicted in American media. The investigation discovers proof in the Newsweek magazine to why misguided judgments, overgeneralizations and distortions of Africa have endured in the media. Content Analysis was utilized to look at what media pictures can mean for both African individuals and Americans. An example of 30 articles was haphazardly chosen through EBSCO search from 215 articles of the Newsweek magazine. The information uncovers the sort of information given to Africa and proposes methods of how to work on the irregularity in the news inclusion.
Okon (2013) in his work named “Africa according to Cable Network News (CNN) and ALJAZEERA: A similar Analysis” set out to ascertain the recurrence and nature of inclusion
given to the African area by CNN and AlJazeera. The destinations anyway were predicated on the philosophy that the broad communications can work with worldwide harmony and comprehension through significant trade of data and thoughts. The news projects of CNN and Aljazeera were content broke down for fifteen (15) days with the end goal of smoothing out the example of inclusion given to Africa by the two organizations. Examination was done quantitatively and subjectively.
1.8 Theoretical Framework
This study has media framing theory and plan setting theory as its theoretical base.
Media Framing Theory
Media substance have the inclination to characterize the truth of an intended interest group; they can shape individuals’ reasoning, information and their comprehension about a given issue (Jamieson and Waldman, 2003). Corridor (1997) in Ezeah and Emmanuel (2016) contends that media can distort occasion by continually stressing the mean viewpoint of such occasion. Perilously notwithstanding, is that explicit untruths, contorted truth, and distorted real factors can be seen to be truth if the media keep on assaulting their misguided crowd uneven data.
Entmna (1993, p.52) stated that “to outline is to choose a few parts of an apparent reality and make them more remarkable in a conveying text, so as to advance a specific issue definition, causal understanding, moral assessment, and additionally treatment suggestion for the thing depicted.” Reese (2001) talking additionally expressed that outlining is “sorting out rules that are socially shared and persevering after some time, that work emblematically to genuinely structure the social world,” (p.9).
To outline intends to incline a story towards a specific bearing. Outlining is advancing a specific issue definition or potentially treatment proposal. Crowd individuals who are presented to outlined negative transmission messages are probably going to foster an insight about Nigeria dependent on the report(s). In the event that the worldwide media depict Nigeria as an emergency zone, an off limits region; then, at that point crowd individuals will see the country to be so.
1.8.2 Plan Setting
Adetokunbo-Edmund (2016) described agenda as a rundown of things one needs to ponder or potentially follow up on. People, council gatherings and associations all have plan. He said on the off chance that somebody has the ability to set others’ plan, one does, somewhat, have the ability to impact their opinion and talk about, ability to cause to notice certain fundamentals and drive away from other.
As referred to in Adetokunbo-Edmund (2016) examinations led by McCombs and Shaw (1972) have uncovered an unmistakable correspondence between the level of concern communicated by general society across a few issues and the measure of information inclusion allowed those points in the media. McCombs and Shaw directed a political race research which included five dailies, two weeklies and two TV organizations and the individual plan of 100 uncertain electors, they noticed an ideal relationship between the media plan and the citizens’ choices.
This examination does not take a gander at crowd reactions to squeeze inclusion, however takes a view from plan setting hypothesis on the connection between how the contextual analysis Nigeria is seen by Nigerian individual’s dependent on how Nigeria is accounted for in the western press and henceforth the picture of Nigeria and Nigerians.
1.9 Research Methodology
1.9.1 Research Design
This investigation took on two exploration techniques: review research strategy, and participatory perception.
1.9.2 Population of the Study
The populace for this investigation involves everybody in South international zone of Nigeria. The district is comprised of six States of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers. It would be certainly awkward to contemplate the whole six states in the zone. Consequently, three states: Cross River, Delta and Rivers-were haphazardly chosen as test to address the whole zone in the investigation.
As per the 2006 populace enumeration by the National Population Commission (NPC), populace of the chose states are: Cross River: 2,892,988. Delta: 4,112,445. Rivers: 5,198,605. Total = 12, 204,038.
Nonetheless, this populace figure is presently out of date and do not address the current populace of the states. Subsequently, to get the gauge of the current populace, the yearly populace development rate projection was utilized to work out the number of inhabitants in the states over a long term period. Consequently, utilizing the straight line recipe, the outcome was as displayed underneath:
N1 = N0 (1 + K n)
Where N1 = Current population at a given growth rate as at 2020.
Where N0 = Census figure as at 2006.
K = Growth rate.
N = Number of years after last census
Thus: Population of Cross River state
N0 = 2,892,988
K = 0.032% or 3.2%
n = 14
N1 = 2,892,988 (1 + 0.032 x 14)
= 2,892,988 (1 + 0.488)
= 2,892,988 (1.448)
= 4,189,046.624
Population of Delta state
N0= 4,112,445
K = 0.032% or 3.2%
n = 14
N1 = 4,112,445 (1 + 0.032 x 14)
= 4,112,445 (1 + 0.448)
= 4,112,445 (1.448)
= 5,954,820.36
Population of Rivers state
N0 = 5,198,605
K = 0.032% or 3.2%
n = 14
N1 = 5,198,605 (1 + 0.032 x 14)
= 5,198,605 (1 + 0.448)
= 5,198,605 (1.448)
= 7,527,580.04
The table below shows the population of each state selected
S/n
States
2006 Population
2020 Population Estimate
1
Cross River
2,892,988
4,189,046
2
Delta
4,112,445
5,954,820
3
Rivers
5,198,605
7,527,580
Total
12, 204,038
17,671,446
Therefore, 17,671,446 would become the population for the study.
The population for the participatory observation comprises the families from the selected States: Cross River, Delta and River States. Hence, 2 families each were selected from 2 Local Government Areas of each selected State.
State
LGA & Number of Family Members
Total of Family Members
Cross River State
Calabar Municipal (4)
&
Calabar South (7)
11
Delta
Oshimili South (8)
&
Oshimili North (2)
10
Rivers
Port Harcourt (5)
&
Oyigbo (3)
8
29
The population of the study is the total number of family members got from the selected Local Government Areas which is 29.
1.9.3 Sample Size
This research work has a sample size of 385 respondents. This was gotten through the use of the Australian Calculator as provided by the National Statistics Service (NSS).
The sample size for the participatory observation is 6. This is because 6 families that made up the population, 29, were studied as a whole. According to Wimmer and Dominick (2011) in qualitative studies, as little as three or more persons or cases could be investigated.
1.9.4 Sampling Technique
Multi-stage examining was utilized to show up at the example size for this examination on the grounds that both likelihood and non-likelihood testing methods were utilized.
The straightforward irregular examining method was utilized to choose states in South-South Nigeria: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states. Thusly, three states: Cross River, Delta and Rivers-were haphazardly chosen as test to address the whole zone in the examination.
The cluster sampling technique was used to cluster each state in line with the existing senatorial districts. They include: Cross River: Cross River South, Cross River North and Cross River Central; Delta: Delta Central, Delta South, and Delta North; Rivers: Rivers South, Rivers West, and Rivers East. Out of the nine senatorial districts in the states, the purposive sampling technique was used to select a senatorial district from each of the states.
Using this procedure, the senatorial districts that fall within the state capitals were selected. This is done with the understanding that these capitals are urban oriented, have high concentration of media organisations, higher educational institutions, and better reception and clarity of foreign mass media programmes. Using the simple random sampling procedure, one local government area each from the senatorial districts were selected.
Furthermore, one town was selected from each local government area through simple random sampling. Here is breakdown of the procedure in the table below:
S/N
State
Senatorial District
Local Government Area
Towns
1
Cross River
Cross River South
Calabar Municipal
Calabar
2
Delta
Delta North
Oshimili South LGA
Asaba
3
Rivers
Rivers East
Port Harcourt
Borokiri
In order to get the specified number of respondents to be drawn from each state, LGAs selected, proportional stratified sampling, which according to Ogbuoshi (2006), is where a representative of each stratum or group of the population is based on the strength of their number in relation to population, a sample was assigned to each area.
The procedure is demonstrated below using the formula,
Where n= population of each stratum
N= total population
S= total sample size
Thus:
Cross River: =91
DELTA: =130
RIVERS: =164
Therefore, overall sample is 91+130+164 = 385
Accidental sampling technique was adopted to select the respondents who filled the questionnaire.
For the participatory observation, purposive sampling technique was used to select the Local Government Areas. This is because they are mostly situated at the capital cities where one can easily find those who watch foreign television stations under study. Also, the families studied where purposively selected because they watch the foreign stations. A period of 6 months was used to carry out the observation. Therefore, one month each was deployed in studying a family in a Local Government Area.
1.9.5 Instrument of Data Collection
Questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection for this study.
Chi-square Test: To analyse Assumptions/ Hypothesis
Chi-square is non parametric tool envisaged by Karl Pearson for statistical and hypothetical test. It measures the discrepancies between observed frequency and expected frequency and also measures the degree of association or dependence between qualitative variables. It is expressed with the following formula.
Where O = Observed Frequency
E = Expected Frequency
However, in carrying out the observation, the researcher put up the toga of an observer as participant. Kawulich (2005) notes that the researcher, taking this form, participates in a group activity as desired, yet his main role is to collect data, and the group being studied is aware of the researcher’s observation activities.
Hence, the researcher made use of field notes writing his observation, and findings. The field notes used were 6. This tells that one field note was used for each family observed.
2.0 Data Presentation and Analysis
Demographic Data: In the distribution of the 385 copies of questionnaire, 369 copies (representing 96%) were completed/returned while 16 copies (representing 4%) were uncompleted/not returned. In the gender distribution of respondents, there were a majority of 211 (representing 57%) male respondents while 158 (representing 43%) were of the female gender. The age distribution of respondents has it that majority of the respondents, 171, were within the age bracket of 24-29 (representing 46%), 105 were within the age bracket of 18-23 (representing 28%), 54 were within the age bracket of 30-39 (representing 15%) while those within the age bracket of 40 and above were 39 (representing 11%).
The marital status distribution of the respondents shows that majority of the respondents, 239 (representing 65%), were single, 127 (representing 34%) were married while 3 (representing 1%) were divorced. The occupational distribution of the respondents shows that majority of the respondents, 143 (representing 39%), were students, 95 (representing 26%) were civil servants, 89 (representing 24%) were business men/women, while 42 (representing 11%) were for others.
The distribution of the educational qualification of the respondents has it that most of the respondents, 192 (representing 52%), were BSc/B.A/HND/OND holders, 138 (representing 37%), were WASSCE holders, 13 (representing 4%) were Higher Degree holders while FSLC holders were 26 (representing 7%). The religious distribution of the respondents showed that most of the respondents, 281 (representing 76%) were Christians, 67 (representing 18%) were Muslims, 19 (representing 5%) were Traditionalists while 2 (representing 1%) were for others.
Psychographic Data: This section provides the respondents’ psychographic data. This would be used to answer each research question in line with the questions contained in the questionnaire.
Research question one: What is the level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations?
Question 7: Do you own a television set or have access to one?
Table 1: Access to Television
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Yes
369
100
No
0
0
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 8: What type of programme do you prefer watching on television?
Table 2: Preferred Programme
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Variety Shows
50
14
News Programme
93
25
Documentaries
61
17
Music Video
29
8
Religious Programme
22
6
Sports Programme
78
21
Film
36
9
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 9: Do you watch foreign news channels?
Table 3: Foreign News Channels
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Yes
369
100
No
0
0
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 10: If yes, which of these foreign media channels do you prefer watching?
Table 4: Preferred Foreign Media Channel
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
CNN
93
25
BBC
75
20
Al Jazeera
82
22
CCTV Channels
17
5
Sky News
29
8
Fox News
46
12
CGTN
27
7
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 11: What is your level of exposure to these foreign media channels?
Table 5: Level of Exposure
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Very High
37
10
High
167
45
Low
120
33
Very Low
45
12
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Research question two: What is the frequency of Nigerians’ viewership of foreign television stations?
Question 12: How many hours do you spend viewing your chosen foreign television station daily?
Table 6: Viewing Hours
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Less than hour
18
5
1-2 hours
124
34
2-3 hours
135
37
More than 3 hours
92
24
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 13: How often do you watch these foreign media channels?
Table 7: Frequency of Viewership
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Always
52
14
Often
179
48
Occasionally
113
31
Rarely
17
5
Not Certain
8
2
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Research question three: How do Nigerians perceive the television stations’ representation of the country’s image?
Question 14: Have you watched news about Nigeria on your selected favourite foreign media channels?
Table 8: Watched News about Nigeria
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Yes
341
92
No
0
0
I Can’t Say
28
8
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 15: How do these foreign television stations present Nigeria’s image in their coverage of the country?
Table 9: Presentation of Nigeria’s Image
Items
SA
A
D
SD
Total
Corruption, Fraud and Crime Coverage
119 (32%)
136 (37%)
98 (27%)
16 (4%)
369 (100%)
Misconceptions, Ignorance, and Stereotypes
105 (28%)
162 (44%)
79 (21%)
23 (6%)
369 (100%)
Unemployment and Poverty
193 (52%)
151 (41%)
21 (6%)
4 (1%)
369 (100%)
Electoral Violence and Vote Rigging
127 (34%)
142 (38%)
74 (20%)
26 (7%)
369 (100%)
Insecurity and Terrorism
209 (57%)
95 (26%)
47 (13%)
18 (4%)
369 (100%)
Dependency on UN and European Union intervention
75 (20%)
148 (40%)
139 (38%)
7 (2%)
369 (100%)
Poor Infrastructure
108 (29%)
181 (49%)
66 (18%)
14 (4%)
369 (100%)
Spreading Disease and Poor Healthcare Facilities
78 (21%)
122 (33%)
107 (29%)
62 (17%)
369 (100%)
Hunger and Starvation
61 (17%)
102 (28%)
115 (31%)
91 (24%)
369 (100%)
Valid Anarchy and conflict
89 (24%)
144 (39%)
110 (30%)
26 (7%)
369 (100%)
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 16: What is your perception of the television station’s representation of the country’s image?
Table 10: Perception of Representation
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Very Appropriate
94
25
Appropriate
122
33
Fairly Appropriate
117
32
Not Appropriate
36
10
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Research question 4: What is Nigerians rating of different foreign television stations in their order of poor representation of the country’s image?
Question 17: How would you rate foreign television stations representation of Nigeria’s image?
Table 11: Image Rating
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Very Good
46
12
Good
70
19
Average
128
35
Deficient
102
28
Very Deficient
23
6
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Research question 5: Do Nigerians believe that foreign television stations’ representation of the country’s image contributes to its negative perception in the world?
Question 18: Do you believe that foreign television stations’ representation of the country’s image contributes to the negative perception of the country in the world?
Table 12: Negative Perception Contribution
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Yes
359
97
No
3
1
Undecided
7
2
Total
369
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
Question 19: If yes, to what extent do you think that foreign television stations’ representation of the country’s image contributes to the negative perception of the country?
Table 13: Contribution to Negative Perception
Response
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Very High Extent
85
24
High Extent
158
44
Low Extent
69
19
Very Low Extent
47
13
Total
359
100
Source: Field Survey, February 2021
2.1 Discussion and Interpretation of Findings
In the psychographic appropriation of information, research question one tried to track down the level of Nigerians’ openness to unfamiliar TV slots. It was tracked down that the respondents claim or approach TV, they incline toward watching news program, they all watch unfamiliar news channels, their favoured unfamiliar media channel is CNN while their degree of openness to unfamiliar media channels is high.
From the discoveries over, the respondents’ inclination to news program portrays that they are side by side of occasions, happenings and improvements as communicated in the unfamiliar TV stations they watch. Their inclination of CNN is not unexpected as Zurawik (2012) reports that CNN is conclusively out-flanks each global news channel and diversion and sports divert in month to month, week after week and day by day reach. It is the main worldwide cross-stage business organization. Above all, it is the absolute most watched worldwide telecaster on the African landmass. Discoveries by and large infer that Nigerians are solid on the kind of content unfamiliar media channels broadcast, and this incorporates the reports they broadcast about Nigeria.
In the participatory perception, it was tracked down that the degree of openness of the families noticed is likewise high. The specialist takes note that the families watch Al Jazeera, BBC, Fox News, CNN, CGTN, among others, oftentimes. Inside a half year taken to intently notice the viewership of families to the stations, it was discovered that they share comparative attributes as far as viewership. They have solid interest in reports that relate to Nigeria, and in augmentation Africa. They connect high validity and acceptability to the data they burn-through from the stations in contrast with Nigerian stations.
Examination question two looked to learn the recurrence of Nigerians’ viewership of unfamiliar TV slots. Discoveries show that the respondents spend generally between 1-2 hours seeing their favoured unfamiliar TV slots every day and they regularly see their picked channels.
In light of the discoveries, Iyorza (2018) states that “Worldwide TV has taken a middle stage in every day exercises of most Nigerian watchers at home particularly in the 21st Century with the rise of satellite correspondences and specialist co-ops like DSTV, GOTV, STARTIMES and numerous others” (p. 7). The findings, however, imply that South-South residents, the respondents, consume much of foreign television content, and are bound to be influenced by what they consume from the stations.
Research question three sought to figure out how Nigerians perceive the television stations’ representation of the country’s image. From the findings, it is glaring that the foreign television channels report mostly negative happenings in the country. Perhaps, the popular saying in journalism that bad news is good news goes a long way in describing why there is a proliferation of negative news reports from the stations. Hence, the foreign media tend to gain more attention and following when their reports are fraught with negative details.
Mellese and Muller (2012) conducted a comparative analysis of text–visual frames of Sub-Saharan Africa in the online news content of Al Jazeera and BBC. Mellese and Muller’s findings aptly supported the findings in research question three. It lays credence on the several negative news broadcast on the foreign media channels. In addition, Adegbola, Skarda-Mitchel and Gearhart (2018) state that foreign media organisation coverage of Nigeria is majorly with episodic frames and negative coverage across time periods.
On the other hand, the reports of the channels cannot be easily positioned as just tilted towards positioning Nigeria as bad. For example, under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, there have been several students’ abductions in Dapchi, Yobe State, Kangara in Katsina State, Kagara in Niger State, and Jangebe in Zamfara State reportedly carried out by the Boko Haram terrorists and bandits operating in most Northern States.
Research question four sought to know how the respondents rate foreign television stations’ representation of Nigeria’s image. Findings reveal that majority of the respondents rate it to be on the average. The average rating given to the representation of Nigeria’s image implies that it is neither good nor bad. This implies that inasmuch as the negative reports are true, and that the channels are merely performing their social responsibility duty of reporting every aspect of the society, there is still that need for them to give attention to the positive sides of the negative stories reported.
However, research question five sought to find out if the foreign television stations’ representation of the country’s image contributes to the negative perception of Nigeria in the world, and the level at which it may contribute to it. Findings mostly indicated that the extent of negative perception is to a high extent.
When bad news is reported continually from a particular region, the likelihood of people having a negative perception of the place is usually naturally high. Therefore, it is understandable for the respondents to indicate that it contributes to the negative image which Nigeria has. At the moment, when Nigeria is mentioned what easily comes to the mind includes, among others, poverty, corruption, insecurity, rotten infrastructure, violent protests, and ineffective governance. And, these negative aspects form part of the major news bulletin of the foreign stations.
The findings imply that unless Nigeria tackles her myriad of political and socio-economic challenges, foreign media channels will continue to broadcast majorly negative reports. In this way, the negative perception Nigeria has already can only get worse.
Chi-square Test: To analyse Assumptions/ Hypothesis
Chi-square is non parametric tool envisaged by Karl Pearson for statistical and hypothetical test. It measures the discrepancies between observed frequency and expected frequency and also measures the degree of association or dependence between qualitative variables. It is expressed with the following formula.
Where O = Observed Frequency
E = Expected Frequency
Hypothesis One
H0: The level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations is low
H1: The level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations is high
Exposure
Observed Frequency
Expected
Frequency
0-e
(0-e)2
Very High
37
92
-55
3025
32.88
High
167
92
75
5625
61.14
Average
120
92
28
784
8.52
Low
45
92
-47
2209
24.01
126.55
Expected frequency: =
CAL = = 126.55
TAB. K-1, X) (3, 0.05) = 7.815
Since CAL (126.55) is greater than TAB (7.815).
Therefore, the formulated null hypothesis is rejected, and the study concludes that the level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations is high.
Hypothesis Two
H0: The extent foreign stations’ representation of the country’s image contribute to the negative perception of the country is very low
H1: The extent foreign stations’ representation of the country’s image contribute to the negative perception of the country is very high.
Responses
Observed Frequency
Expected
Frequency
0-e
(0-e)2
Very High Extent
85
88
-3
9
0.10
High Extent
158
88
70
4900
55.68
Low Extent
69
88
-19
361
4.10
Very Low Extent
47
88
-41
1681
19.10
78.98
Expected frequency: =
CAL = = 78.98
TAB. K-1, X) (3, 0.05) = 7.815
Since CAL (78.98) is greater than TAB (7.815).
Therefore, the formulated null hypothesis is rejected, and the study concludes that the level of Nigerians’ exposure to foreign television stations is very high.
2.2 Conclusion
South-South residents’ level of exposure to the foreign stations is high, and they mostly watch news about Nigeria on the stations, these depict that they are influenced by the contents of their broadcast. As they strongly agreed that the stations present Nigeria’s image with unemployment and poverty, insecurity and terrorism. Others agreed that they colour Nigeria and Nigerians with negative images in various dimensions as described herein earlier.
2.3 Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations will suffice.
Nigerian government should step up in addressing the challenges of insecurity, corruption, electoral violence, poor infrastructure, among others that make up the reports of the foreign television stations negative reportage of the country.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), should endeavour to upgrade the broadcasting quality of television stations, including radio stations, in the country.
The Nigerian government should embark on campaigns of international reach targeted at correcting some misconceptions that people have of the country, and her people.
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and concerned institutions should play the role of pressure groups in mounting pressure on the Federal Government to be alive to their responsibilities of addressing the myriad of concerns that culminate to reports that colour Nigeria negatively.
The Federal Government should produce documentaries that show the positive sides of Nigeria, and work towards having them broadcast on the foreign stations.
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