Influence Of Radio Newspaper Review On Newspaper Reading Habit Of Audience
Research over years has shown that most scholars of the media agrees that the radio among other media of information is the most permeating medium of information. The simple reason for this agreement is obvious, owing the numerous distinct features of radio which includes:
Portability: It can be carried around from one place to the other.
Affordability: The radio is the cheapest medium of information available to the masses.
Wide range of coverage: The radio covers the widest range of regions, as it can flow interconfidentially with no loss of signal.
No doubt these distinct features of the radio propelled the print media practitioners, to sponsor newspaper review over the radio, the intention of these reviews as thought by the publishers of the newspaper is aimed at drawing more buyers who may be pushed to buy through what they heared over the radio.
Notwithstanding these good intentions, Mwounwene (1995:59) observed that often these radio newspaper reviews goes beyond severing the needs for which they were founded, to constituting a threat to the business of it sponsors. Going by the poor reading habit of student in Ebonyi State University and the poor economic status of the nation, some students prefers to listen the radio newspaper reviews, rather than purchasing the newspapers and the access more details.
This study following the various scholarly studies on media effects also seeks to ascertain the level of influence which the reviews exerts over its audience. There is also the question of whether the review constitute hindrance to higher patronage of the dailies. To have a clear view of the study. It is fail to underscore what media effect implies.
Several authors including Ojobor (2002:17), Lasswell (1933:59) Noelle-Neumann (1974:25), Klapper (1960:37) all agreed that the media is of a tremendous effect on the audience. Following the findings of these studies there came to be the various theories of media effects, some including bullet theory, agenda-setting theory, uses and gratification theories, social control theory, cultivation theory, individual difference theory to mention but a few. These theories propounded by different scholars, differs in principles but shares a common similarity of agreeing that the media has effects over the audience. The degree to which the media exerts these influence becomes the print of divergence of these theories.
In any case, the intention of this study is impliedly linked to these theories. By ascertaining the influence of radio newspaper review on the reading habit of Ebonyi State University students, the study still conforms to the belief of the existence of media effects.
