CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Essential,
communication is the root of world creation. It is the basic of human existence
living and interrelating. It is also the socio cultural system of the people of
the world. According to Mac Bride (1981 pg 3) says “Communication maintains and
animates life, it is the motor and expression of social activity and civilization.
It creates a common pool of ideas, strengthens the felling of togetherness
through exchange of messages and translates, reflecting every emotion, and need
from the humblest task of human survival to manifestation of creativity or
destruction”.
Communication
cements our social interaction with other people. It is a living mechanism
which links together any organism but when there is a breakdown in
communication, the organisms also breaks.
The
need for communication is at least tantamount to the need for information. By
getting people informed of the happenings in other part of the country and the
globe, newspaper helps to broaden the people’s horizon and in this corollary
serve as a force of cohesion or as an internet for binding together the
different human communities.
It
is therefore, not debatable, to say or to conclude that it is this dynamic
attempt to inform the people and broaden their horizon through newspaper; which
has over the years brought about the use of cartoons, pictures and other
illustrations to supplement and complement the printed or written words.
Thus,
it has been observed that not only written words serve as a means of conveying
information to the general public. Some other means have been closely observed,
these have brought about the inception of “Cartooning as a means of
communication or especially in newspaper journalism.
With
these observations, it has made us to carryout research on the “Importance of
cartooning in newspaper journalism”.
Cartoon,
according to chambers twentieth century dictionary, is “a comic or satirical
drawing commenting on current events or politics”. Viewed from what it does
rather than what it is, cartooning may be summed up as “graphic”.
Cartooning
reflects social attitude and provide a vehicle through which people can voice
feeling for which there is no socially acceptable or easy accessible outlet.
It provides a
vehicle for expressing man different kinds of attitudes. It dramatically cuts
through defenses, conveys, collective surreptitious approval or disapproval
tackles taboo subjects and expresses ideas very simple and compelling. The
purpose of cartooning is not totally different from Harold Lasswell’s functions
of the press summed up this surveillance, correlation and transmission of
cultural heritage.
Cartoonings, for
example are basically meant to bring about social changes, most times combine other
functions such as education information and entertainment.
In summation,
cartoon is a good sample of an illustration in newspaper and as an illustration,
it gives aesthetics to newspaper pages.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Over
the years, cartooning has been serving as a means of communication. Once inner
most feelings on a particular issue is expressed through cartoon illustrations,
but in the main time, it has been observed that cantoon treatment has been
relatively poor as it is regarded as thing for the children because it contains
much of drawing, sketches and gesture illustrations.
Hence,
this study is set to fact find through research reason (s) behind this notion
and therefore, suggesting a tentative solution to the problem.
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The
objectives of this study is to access the importance of cartooning in newspaper
journalism as a journalistic tool used for communication and how affective
cartoon messages are to its audiences.
1.4 RESAERCH QUESTIONS AND HYPHOTHESIS
The
importance of cartooning in newspaper journalism research questions are as
follows.
–
What impact does cartoon
play in newspaper?
–
Are cartoon messages
properly understood by it audiences?
–
Why do some people
prefer cartoon illustration to written words?
–
To what extent has
cartoon been accepted?
In this study,
those above questions will be answered through research in other to ascertain
the time importance of cartooning to newspaper media outlet and the role it
plays as a communication tool.
1.5 SIGINIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The significance of this research is to
assess the importance of cartooning in newspaper journalism. The benefit of
this study is of great importance to both the print media and the reading
public. This will help to encourage none introduction of canton illustrations
in their daily publication therefore will serve as an avenue for discussing
matters of national interest.
Hence, will also
help to broaden the Readers knowledge on the importance of cartoon.
1.6 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
This study focuses its attention on the
importance of cartooning in newspaper journalism on Kwara state college of
Education, Ilorin.
In this study,
questionnaire method is adopted as instrument to be used in collection of data.
100 respondents are selected to be the total number of population to be
studied.
The research is
carried out between February and July 2013, making a total of 6 months.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
In
this research study, these are the key terminologies used that is, the key
words.
Journalism:
This term refers to an act in mass communication that deals mainly with
gathering, reporting and dissemination of information’s that is news worthy.
Cartoon:
This means drawing, sketching or making
gesture illustrations of a thing in a funny way that is either entertaining or
enlightening.
Newspaper:
This is a set of large printed sheet of
paper containing news articles, advertisement etc. published on a daily base.