CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The
Nigerian
Observer is a daily newspaper published in Benin City,
Edo State,
Nigeria,
it has been published since 29 May 1968 and it is owned by the Edo state
government. Since the development of the camera in 1893, the impacts of images
on retention and attention have been debated. Shortly after it’s invention, the
camera was proclaimed as the tool that could portray scientific data without
subjective intervention, and was viewed as “the most accurate mechanism for
revealing the physical world, the lens of the camera being more accurate than
the lens of a human eye” (Andersen, 1989).
It
is widely understood and accepted that images used in news can “stir emotions
and foster public outcry like no other means of expression” (Zillman 2007).
Images are powerful means of easily expressing emotion in a language that all
people speak. When the image of the spontaneous execution of the Viet Cong
prisoner in Saigon by General Nguyen Ngoc Loan was released to the American
public, this image sparked an emotional response by the nation, calling for the
American government to change it’s practices, and a huge antiwar opinion across
the nation. Similarly to what occurred in Vietnam, photographic images and film
footage of the poverty and governmental problems in Somalia entered into the
American media stream. The public witness of images of severely malnourished,
deformed and handicapped children and adults in Somalia, incited the arrival of
American governmental aid to the African country. After a period of time in
Somalia, images of murdered American soldiers being dragged through the streets
while being spit upon by Somalis filtered back to the United States, which
promptly changed the public’s opinion of the situation. This change of opinion
called for an immediate withdrawal of aid from the country. Photography allows
people to see the world from many different and unusual vantage points that
they quite possibly might not have viewed before (Mendelson, 2001).
Photography
(and film) has made the world smaller, allowing people from around the world to
view other cultures, ideas, events and practices without witnessing them first
hand. At the same time though, the growing use of imagery in news reporting and
daily life has been characterized a ‘picture flood.’ In this sense of an
inundation of imagery, a developing debate is centered on the question, “if
images persist in memory longer and more vividly than text and verbalizations,
all while exerting a stronger influence on perception and judgment, will they
diminish the function of text and language altogether?” (Knobloch, 2003).
Therefore this study focuses on the influence of photographs on the readers of
the Nigerian observer newspaper, using Newspaper readers in oredo LGA of Benin
city as a case study.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Since
the inception of newspaper, a major problem has been how to sustain the
readers’ attention. The very catching explanatory effects of pictures in
newspapers have been about its usefulness. Sometimes one wonders what the fate
of the readers would have been without pictorial images which help translate or
explain concepts and a given message. There have been speculations however that
those pictures sometimes are irrelevant as they make the newspapers too
colorful and childish.
The
need for photography in news articles cannot be overemphasized. One of the
importance of photography on articles in newspaper is that it enhances
comprehension of the readers, the absence of photographs prevents the readers
from having an overview of what the article is all about. Most readers don’t
have enough time to read news article in details but the use of photography
helps the reader to know which article it worth spending reading.
Readers
tend to patronage newspapers with photographs more than those without
photographs because photography captivates and draw the attention of readers to
the newspaper thereby increasing the number of reader patronizing the
newspaper. In as much as photographs attracts readers to the newspaper, the
quality of the photographs is also very important. Most newspaper have
photographs that are blur and unattractive. The need to make use of high
quality and clear photographs must be prioritized by the publishers. So this
problems make it glaring that there is a need to carry out a study on the
influence of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
general objective of this study is to examine the influence of photographs on
the readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper. The specific objectives of the
study include the following:
1. To
find out if quality photographs are often used with article on the Nigerian
observer Newspaper.
2. To
ascertain if readers’ retention is influenced by the photographs on the
Nigerian observer newspaper.
3. To
examine if news photographs influences readers’ patronage of the Nigerian
observer newspaper.
4. To
investigate if photographs captivates the attention readers of the Nigerian
observer newspaper.
5. To
know if readers prefer articles with photographs to articles without
photographs.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
relevant research questions related to this study include the following:
1. Are
quality photographs often used with article on the Nigerian observer Newspaper?
2. Is
readers’ retention influenced by the photographs on the Nigerian observer
newspaper?
3. Does
news photographs influences readers’ patronage of the Nigerian observer
newspaper?
4. Does
photographs captivates the attention readers of the Nigerian observer
newspaper?
5. Do
readers prefer articles with photographs to articles without photographs?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This
study is relevant to newspaper publishers because it elucidate the importance
of quality photographs with articles on newspaper. Reporters should be mandated
that quality photographs should be provided when reporting news on the
newspaper. This study
will enhance the existing body of literature by contemplating the areas of the
literature that have not yet been examined or considered and incorporating
these factors into the current study. The study will thus form the basis for
further studies in the field.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
scope of this study is restricted to the influence of photographs on the
readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper, using Newspaper readers in oredo
LGA of Benin city as a case study.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Some of the major constraints the researchers encountered
in putting up this research include lack of time, lack of willingness to give
information by respondent and also limited resources.
1.8 DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Photograph:
a picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused on to
light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical
treatment, or stored digitally.
Newspaper:
a printed publication (usually issued daily or weekly) consisting of folded
unstapled sheets and containing news, articles, advertisements, and
correspondence.
Newspaper readers:
all the people who read a particular newspaper or magazine regularly.