CONTENT-PATTERN OF AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS FROM 1996-2005 AD

CONTENT-PATTERN OF AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION

PUBLISHED IN NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS FROM 1996-2005 AD

Presented By:

Olufemi BOLARINDepartment of Agricultural

Extension and Rural DevelopmentFaculty of Agriculture

University of IlorinNigeria

Presented By Olufemi Bolarin 2

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

• Access to information is one of the most critical resources in Agricultural production.


• Access to agricultural information by farmers and increase in agricultural production, as well as economic development, are inextricably interrelated with the information from researchers serving as impetus for increased agricultural productivity.


• Food and Agricultural Organization has proposed a concerted action to raise agricultural productivity by the use of effective dissemination of agricultural information using the press or else food insecurity problem will go on unabated.


• The Nigerian press has the social responsibility of passing information to the entire populace, on agricultural innovation and agricultural information generally. This social responsibility becomes imperative especially with its claim as the vanguard of the people for sustainable development.


• News papers, in addition to their roles of informing, educating and entertaining the society, also serve as purveyors of change, watchdogs and custodians of the people’s interest.


• The effort of the press in carrying agricultural news to the entire populace becomes important because of the role food plays in the national polity and survival. Implementation of major agricultural reforms also can only reach the teeming masses through the press.


• Williams (1978) and Aubrac (1977) argued that ineffective use of mass media by the extension delivery system has been responsible for the paucity of information on agricultural practices.


• Newspaper a product of the press as:

–“Collective Propagandist”–“Collective Agitator”–“Collective Organizer”


• Newspaper has been referred to as–“ A gate keeper of information”–“An advocate”–“Purveyors of information”–“Vehicle for change”


• Since extension agent are change agents and Newspaper are vehicle of change thus Newspapers become vital in the social change process most especially among the farmers.

• Newspaper are meant to be extension counterpart.


• Potentials of NewspaperCreate awareness.Present Pros and Cons of issue.Serve as resource material.Prepare reader for social change by

publishing articles that serve the needs of the society.


–Preservation potential where “content erosion” is minimal.

–Presentation of Agricultural variables and attribute.

–Agricultural issues, reported in newspapers have the potential of reaching at least 10 million people per day in Nigeria.


Peculiar Qualities of Newspaper

–Can be stored and repeatedly referred to when necessary.

–Can be used for announcing different events and meetings that are important to the farmers.

–Can be used to raise level of awareness of farmers and their interest.

–Can serve as resources material to extension personnel and farmers.


–Excellent expository resource material from where farmer can gain insight into agricultural research findings.

–Can present timely information on crop and livestock operations.

–Featuring success stories.–Surveying the effect of new improved farm

practices.


THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

The simmering crisis in Nigeria Agriculture involves dissemination of timely and relevant farm information to the farmers.

Also inadequate transmission of research findings to farmers has been laid at the feet of extensions.


Therefore extensionist needs to look forwards the technological media in solving this problem of information dissemination by the use of newspapers.


Thus the study is set to ascertain the extent of focus or perceived attention paid to agriculture by Nigerian newspapers.


RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• What are the content-pattern of Agricultural Information published in selected Nigerian newspapers?


MAIN OBJECTIVE

• The main objective of the study is to content analyze selected newspapers publication on agricultural issues between 1996 and 2005.


SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

• To examine the content –pattern of agricultural information published by the selected Nigerian newspapers.


Research Hypotheses

• Ho: There is no significant difference in the extent of coverage of different areas of agriculture by the selected Nigerian newspapers


SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

• Effective agricultural information will assist in boosting farmer capacity to increase their agricultural productivity.

• In addition, the “Watchdog” function of the press could be brought to bear on the coverage of agricultural issues to make government accord the desired priority to agriculture.


• Thus findings from this study will focus on generating information that will be useful to the newspaper proprietors,

• The study hopes to sensitize policy makers on the need for partnership between extension and newspapers.

• It will also trigger off serious attention to the social responsibility of the newspaper.

• The work hopes to help bring to the forefront of media research concern for agricultural information dissemination as the bane for improvement in agricultural productivity.


• The study will advance public understanding of agricultural issues by improving the quality, accuracy and visibility of agricultural information reportage in Nigeria.

• The study in addition will shed light on which area of agriculture is a priority and interest to the newspapers publishers.

• Finally, the study will contribute to existing empirical data on strategy formulation and design of relevant interventions in agriculture to enhance farmers education in terms of knowledge and skills.


Scope of the Study• The study is restricted to the selected

newspapers, specifically, the nationally circulated newspapers. Two governments owned (The Daily Times and New Nigeria and two privately owned newspapers The Punch and Nigerian Tribune) are utilized.


Limitation of the Study• Was the dearth of adequately stocked library

of past newspapers spanning a decade, without omission.

• The factor of breaks in the publication of two privately-owned newspapers Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspaper, which were sealed off by the then Military Government for a period of time.

• Was poor serials of newspaper acquisition by Nigerian Libraries.


CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK


Medial Pluralism

Source Channel

Receiver Newspaper PublisherRadio Television

AGRICULTURAL ISSUE

Extension agent

Media

Large numbers of media Various type Various ownership

Traditional Media

Drums, dance music

Theatre songs,

Stories sculpture

AFAN member Farmer l Public International organization Government official & others

Government Private Daily Times

New Nigeria

(Newspaper)

Nigeria Tribune

The punch

Newspaper

Content manifest OFFICIAL NON-OFFICIAL

- Official Proceeding - Leaks

- Official Conferences - Briefings informal sources

- National Council & state - Proceeding from farmer

on agriculture briefing association

- Central Bank Food - Young farmers group on food

Security conferences production

- Federal, State & LGA - Interviews with Scientist

Department of Agriculture - Expert Opinion

Briefings - Previous media report

- NGOs report

- CBOs report

- Members of public

(Study Objective)

(Research Instrument)

Prominence Media sourceContent – pattern Depth Trending Pattern

(Content Analysis)

Usage Challenges to usage

(Cross Sectional Survey)

Adapted from Theory of Nigerian Press and D.K Berlo Communication Model

METHODOLOGY• Study is based on the crucial role of newspaper social

responsibility in the social construction of agricultural news. Using the content analysis approach.

• Study area.• Nigeria with a population of about 140million people whereby

60% population are engaged in agriculture with a huge market for agricultural information.

• Study populationAll the one hundred and three(133) newspapers published in Nigeria.


Sampling Procedure• A multi level random sampling process was adopted.• First level

– Selection of government-owned newspaper and privately-owned newspaper

• Second level– Selection of two government owned newspaper and two

privately owned newspaper with national spread in term of circulation and coverage.


Research Techniques

• Exploratory opinion survey method• Categorization of manifest content of

newspaper publication on agriculture


SAMPLE SIZE• Content Analysis

• Sample Universe

• Expectedly a total number of (14,622) newspaper editions were available to the researcher.


CONTENT ANALYSIS SAMPLE SIZE• Three newspaper edition per week for fifty-two (52) week in

a year.• 3x52edition=156editions• For a decade=1,560editions per newspaper• For the four(4)newspapers=(156 newspapers x 10years x

4editions)=6,240editions.• Due to attrition• Inability to documentary• Failure of supply channel due to mechanical or human fault.• Lack of some publications only four thousand nine hundred

and nine(4,409) editions could be examined.


NEWSPAPERS SAMPLE SIZE PERCENTAGE %

PUNCH 1,359 87.1

TRIBUNE 1,320 84.6

DAILY TIMES 1,033 66.2

NEW NIGERIA 1,197 76.76

TOTAL 4,909 100.00


RESEARCH INSTRUMENT• Content analysis using the content analysis coding sheet.• Definition and categorization of study universe using (Holsti

1969, Berlinger !986, Soetan 1999, Shitton and Shelly 2001 models).

• Identification of unit of analysis using (Holsti 1969, Berlinger 1986 and Soetan 1999 method of analysis) newspaper publication of Prominence, Source Form and Depth [ProSoForDep model].


Result and DiscussionsTABLE .1

Newspaper Publications Newspaper Editions Frequency Percentage

Editions with no Agricultural-Related stories

3076 62.7

Editions with Agricultural-related stories

1833 37.3

Total 4909 100Presented By Olufemi Bolarin 37

TABLE.2 Comparative analysis of word usage and report size among the four newspapers based on the ownership structure.

Newspaper Mean Number of Words used

Mean report size in (Cubic cm)

The Nigeria TribuneThe PunchThe New NigeriaThe Daily Time

104.17 7.3747c

93.90 4.7541d

192.30 11.6630a

150.4 10.5112b

41.1 3.6443a

7.9 9.904d

9.5 .4630b

8.6 . 8635c


TABLE.3 Distribution of the Newspapers Articles Based on the Area of Focus


TABLE.4 Chi-square Test on Content-pattern of Selected Newspapers Publication on Agriculture

Pearson Computed Value

D.f Level of Significance

138.07 27 0.05No. of Valid Case 1833


Major Findings and Discussions

• Comparative analysis of the mean number of words usage and mean report size in cubic cm. using ANOVA and Duncan Multiple range test gives F=26.028 @ 0.000 with the f=93.90 for The Punch, f=104.17 for Nigerian Tribune incidentally both are privately-owned newspapers. The two government-owned newspapers had greater f-value of The Daily Times with f =150.4079 and sthat had f = 192.3054. This is indicative of a strong disparity in the number of words used in reporting agricultural issues and space allotted to the news items.



CONCLUSION

• This study is based on the fact that responsiveness of newspaper publications to farmers’ need is very essential. Such as information on critical farm inputs and sources of credit will improve readership structure of newspapers and boost agricultural productivity.


• The study concluded that newspapers are not playing the expected leading role in agricultural information dissemination as obtained in other countries of the world like the World-top-ten/countries – with – highest newspapers circulation namely: China, Japan, USA, India, Germany, UK, France, Russia, Brazil and Italy.


CONCLUSION

RECOMMENDATION

• As a mater of National policy, the Federal Government should compel all National Newspapers to include a column for Agricultural news in every publication.


THANKS FOR GOOD LISTENING.


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CONTENT-PATTERN OF AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS FROM 1996-2005 AD