Abstract
The study was focused on
readership habit of female staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching
Hospital, Nnewi. The survey research method was adopted, and the researcher
obtained a sample of 288 from the population of the study from whom data were
obtained and analyzed. Data collected were presented in table and analyzed in
simple percentage findings revealed that, most female staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe
Teaching Hospital, read newspaper occasionally. The researcher concludes based
on the findings that the newspaper reading habit of the respondents is low. The
researcher recommends that the management of the institution should endeavour
to expand the subscription for national newspapers.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUD OF THE STUDY
Newspaper
readership studies do perhaps seem to be confined to an observe corner of
extent literatures. This probably many be as a result of the assumption that
almost everybody reads newspapers for clear reasons; therefore, doing a newspapers readership
study to ascertain how frequently, newspapers are read, why they are read and
preference for a particular newspapers to the other appear rather to easy to
deal with. However most researchers seem to concern themselves with matters of
newspapers coverage of events in the society. As elementary as newspapers
readership studies may appear to be, their centrality as forming sound
foundation upon which further studies are built cannot be exaggerated (Layefa
et al, 2016).
Readership studies, besides being the
hub of further studies function as a key marketing tools. Advertisers probably
would prefer a newspapers of wider coverage with a wider readership reach.
Evidently, newspapers readership tends to indirectly influence the what and why
of coverage of news events; for reporters, editors give space for events they
know would be of interest to the readers. Oloruntola cited in Morka &
Orukamayan, (2015) states that news should not only be in an absolute sense of being
news, it should be the sort of news that the reader of the paper will likely
want to read, a newspapers that satisfies the curiosity or readers is mot
likely to be preferred to others.
There are plethora of newspapers
researches; a greater percent bordering on newspapers coverage, ownership
influence, and editorial readership. But none of those studies ever touched on
newspapers reading habit among female civil servant. Therefore this study is
different from existing ones in that it centers on newspapers reading habit
among female staff in Tertiary institution.
1.2
STATEMENT OF
THE PROBLEM
Newspapers are
known for the provision of up-to-date information on local, state, national and
international events. Newspapers often contain current and interesting
information meant for the reading
pleasure of the vast majority readers in all walks of life. As an important
print medium of mass communication, newspapers provide the most current
analysis, debate and criticism of socio-political, economic health and a host
of other issue as information, education and entertainment of the readers. The
newspapers is no doubt, one of the most widely-read periodicals available and
accessible to all on daily basis in print and electronic versions.
However
evidence from large body of empirical literature suggest that newspapers readership
is on the decline. Dominick (2002, P.14) notes that newspapers readership has
been declining over the last couple of years. Udie (2002,p.100) also reports
that the frequencies of newspapers readership among Nigerian youth is less then
50%. Biag. (2003,p.83) states that since the 1970s the overall number of
newspapers has declined due to non readership.
Therefore, the problem of this study is
to ascertain newspapers readership habit of female staff of tertiary
institutions, with particular focus on Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching
Hospital-Nnewi; Anambra State.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF
THE STUDY
The objective of the
study is to know the newspapers reading habit of female staff of Nanamdi
Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital.
However the specific objectives are as
follows:
1 To determine the pattern of newspapers
readership among female staff of NAUTH
2. To ascertain the newspapers need most by
the female staff.
3 To identify the uses female staff of NAUTH
put newspapers into.
4. To ascertain the reasons for preference for
a particular newspapers among female staff of NAUTH.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Based on the research objectives, the
researcher proposed the following research questions.
– What is the pattern of newspapers
readership habit of female staff of NAUTH?
– What is the newspapers read most by
female staff of NAUTH?
– What uses do female staff of NAUTH put
newspaper into
– What are the reasons for the preference
for a particular newspaper to the others among female staff of NAUTH?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The result of
this study will help editors of different newspapers to know the demography of
their audience with the result obtained they will know what material to retain
or remove from their newspaper content. The work also help newspapers to have
better information characteristics of their audience and also what factors
influence the preference of one particular newspaper over the other it will
equally help newspaper house to learn what cause about shift in interest in
certain category of their reading audience.
It will equally help editors to and
publishers to know the psychological disposition their audience towards certain
information.
1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY
The
study is focused on the topic; newspapers reading habit of female staff of
Tertiary Institutions a study of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital.
The study area is limited to specified area only. The choice of area was the
researcher’s discretion.
1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY
The study
would have expended this area of study but due to time limitation as well as
high cost the was limited to female staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching
Hospital Nnewi.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINATION OF TERMS
Newspaper: The printed decides e.g Puch,
vanguard,
guardian
etc.
Habit: The level of consumption
(e.g daily,
weekly,
occasional
Readership: The number or type of readers of a
newspaper.