Published
by Just-Web Research Institute [5th November, 2018]
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHANGING
ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN NIGERIA
Deedenwii,
Bariture Neele
ND, and D.cl
+2347012543482 and +2349050517580
ABSTRACT
This study tends to investigate
information technology and the changing role of the media in Nigeria. The
objective of this study was to examine the role of information technology in
media house in Nigeria. Information technology is the combination of computing,
telecommunication and video techniques for the purpose of acquiring,
processing, storing, and disseminating vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical
information. Information technology has had quite an impact is in the media,
the impact of the information technology on the media industry has been
improved. Information can reach people around the nation or world within a
second. Technology has changed the old working habit thereby resulting in
complete job design and acquisition of new skills in the Nigeria media today.
In view of the above statement, information technology has contributed to
managerial efficiency in the media house in Nigeria. Based on the findings, it
was discovered that IT has great impact on the productivity of Nigeria media,
and IT has help to make productivity accurate, faster, and also to reduce the
work load in the media house in Nigeria. It was recommended amongst others that
Media should deem it imperative, to conform with the conversion from analogue
to digital technologies.
Keywords: Information Technology, Media
and Organization
INTRODUCTION
The information and communication age came along with many
possibilities. Indeed, the advances in information and communication
technologies have brought many hopes to the modern man. In the civilized world
for instance, great transformations in the lives of the people, are in part
functions of advances in information and communication technologies. According
to Onwubalili (2004) “the magical changes are quite glaring in every facet of
our lives and touches simplest of domestic services, to corporate and limitless
industrial applications”.
One of the areas where information technology has had quite
an impact is in the media. The media being a watchdog of the society are of the
interface. They link people together with those in authority, in both the
public and private sectors. They serve as the ears and eyes of the public and
those in power, and transmit information in the form of news analysis and
indeed entertainment.
When Marshall McLuhan talked about the global village many
years ago, people at that time thought he was a joker. Today, the new
communication technologies have proved that he was a man of vision. The new
communication technologies have made people to become increasingly involved in
one another life. As Baran (2009) observes, that the media, would permit the
human tribe to become one family. Technology is not itself a medium, but a
social force bringing changes to the media world. Therefore communication technology
is any artifacts manipulated by man to aid him communicate interpersonally or
massively.
The impact of the information technology on the media
industry has been improved. Information can reach people around the nation or
world within a second, for instance digital technology has placed us at a point
of a very significant way of development in the history of human communication,
often called “the information society, and has transformed the way many men and
women work in the media industry.
Ilo (2000) contends that information can be sent around the
world in seconds with the new technologies, and news can reach people when it
happens. This research project therefore intends to investigate these issues in
the light of the impact of information technology and media development in
Nigeria.
NATURE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Information technology is the
combination of computing, telecommunication and video techniques for the
purpose of acquiring, processing, storing, and disseminating vocal, pictorial,
textual and numerical information. Uzoka (2002) defined information technology
as the harnessing of electronic technology in its various forms to improve the
operations and profitability of the business as a whole.
Brightman and Dimsdale (2006) traced
the root of the high-tech revolution back to 1828 when Charles Babbage produced
the first programmable calculating device, the Analytical Engine. We might look
to the more recent past, 1944, and mention Howard Aiken's Mark I, the first
programmable computer.
Information technology according to
Oliver, Chapman and French (2000) is a technology which supports activities
involving the creation, storage, manipulation and communication of information
(principally computing, electronics and electronic communications) together
with their related methods, management and applications. It has also created
countless opportunities and challenges for millions of individuals. In
particular, the challenges of managers’ responsible for introducing this
technology have been exceptionally high. In our information and knowledge
-based society, management must attempt to capture the advantages offered by
information technology, yet they must also avoid the pitfalls along the way
toward increasing automation.
Information technology (IT) is a
general term that describes any technology that helps to produce, manipulate,
store, communicate, and or disseminate information. It merges computing high
speech communication inks carrying data, sound, and video. Examples of
information technology include personal computer appliances and various hand
held devices.
SIGNIFICANCE OF IT IN ORGANIZATIONS
Jaiyeola (2017) inferred that
mechanization in the office refers to a process whereby office machines and
equipment are introduced in the office with a view to aid administrative
process.
Technology has greatly affected
secretarial profession not only in Nigeria but the world-over. Looking at the
contribution of technology to the profession in the present time, one begins to
imagine what would have become of the profession if technology had not come to
its rescue. Technology has completely enveloped secretarial profession such
that it is now safe for one to say that without technology there would be no
secretarial profession. Some of the ways technology has affected secretarial
profession according to Nyone (2013), include:
1. The use of modern word processing
machines starting from electronic typewriter through memory writer to computer,
have brought great relief to the secretary. Enhanced secretarial functions
pleasurable and attractive.
2. The speed and accuracy with which
documents are produced are unraveled in the history of human skills.
3. Technology has eliminated wastage of
secretary’s time by saving him of the time he spends on routine job such as
creation of files, storage and retrieved of such files, which are now done by
the computer.
4. Technology has enriched secretarial
job and this enrichment has resulted in job satisfaction for secretaries. A
manager now feels happy and satisfied when he poses behind a computer, which is
also found on the tables on top executives and important officials in important
offices. In fact, the computer has become a status symbol and has made managers
activities easier to perform.
5. Technology has brought secretaries to
focus and make them important members of the organizations as they are now sent
on training and retraining on the use of new office equipment.
6. Technology has broadened the scope of
secretarial profession. It has severed the secretary from the derogatory
appendage status to an independent member of the organization, information
manager and a custodian of organizational information reservoir.
7. Technology has brought the whole
world to the secretary’s table, he takes organization to the world and bring
the world to the organization. For this reason, every member of the
organization including the managers regards it.
8. Technology is gradually revising the
general misconception and poor perception of secretaries in Nigeria society.
Instead of their downgrading, they are now being respected. Instead of their
being looked down on as in the previous cases they are now being looked up to.
GROWTH OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NIGERIA
It is on record that the electronic digital computer, made
its first appearance in Nigerian in 1963, in connection with the analysis of
the 1962/63 national census data. In the 10 years between 1963 and 1973, the
total computer population in the county stood at 20-25 with 5 or 6 of these
being associated with the multinational companies. By 1977 the total number of
installations had grown to around 70. It was by this time that many
universities, government departments and parastatals, organization including
the West African Examinations c\Council (WAEC), the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and the Federal
Office of Statistics as well as many banks and commercial firms began to show
interest in computers.
Up to 1977 there were only three computer vendor in Nigeria.
They ever JCL, IBM and NCA and all three were the local subsidiaries of the
overseas computer manufacturer, dealing almost entirely with mainframes and
microcomputers. In 1977, the government promulgated the indigenization decree,
which set apart some categories of industrial activities exclusively for
participation in Nigerian nationals, while stipulating a minimum of Nigeria
interest in others. One of the three original vendors IBM did not want to
comply with the decree, choosing instead to pull out of the country.
The decree produced two other important effects first there
was an influx of indigenous vendors in the computer business. Secondly the
keener competition in the industry led to more aggressive marketing policies.
As a result, the number of computer installations in the country rose sharply.
Whereas 39 computers were installed in 1975-1977, 1980-1985 witnessed the
addition of 197 installations. There were 149 new installations in 1981-1983
and a further 99 in 1984-1986. Already by the end of 1982, the price of crude
oil was beginning to drop sharply in the spot market and this marked the
beginning of the foreign exchange dieback and the attendant imported
restrictions.
The federal office of statistics (FOS) has conducted
periodic, but unpublished census of computer installations in Nigeria. The
largest of these gives the position of the end of 1984 published computer
statistics began to appear in 1985, when the first edition of the Nigerian
computer user’s dictionary (NUD) was published. The second edition of the NCUD
appeared in 1985 and the third edition in 1988. The availability of this
directory permits more accurate statements to be made regarding computer
diffusion in the various sectors of the economy.
IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON
MEDIA
Information can be sent around the world in seconds. With
these technologies, news can reach people when it happens. Digital technology
has significant effect on both technologies especially in television. This will
Enable a broadcast station to transmit more channels of any given spectrum
width. This means up to five quality channels may be transmitted in the same
space, as one analogue channel. Under a decade since the introduction of
computers into the communication system, stunning pictures and graphics have
been produced with the aid of computers. Thus electronic computer graphics are
now being used by broadcasters for programmes production and technologies.
Onyewuenyi (2004) observes that to the advertisers, computer
graphics create exciting commercials or advertisements on television. To
newscasters, it helps in downloading information from websites or internet and
in sending feedbacks. To announcers, computer teaches how to compose, edit,
record, play, transcribe, copy, tabs pose, extract, or import and publish in
standard rotation.
Data regardless of source or destination are available to
dedicated purpose, in which they can undergo diverse levels of processing in
order to yield the desired information, for various levels of users. For
instance in the broadcast media environment, such data representation audio or
video signals can be borne on modern wireless media through transmitters,
satellite broadcast transponders or cable distribution network for
dissemination. This is now a digital broadcasting.
According to Akan (2004) the introduction of digital
technology, analogue system of broadcasting has already been structured in
terms of audience and spectrum available to broadcasters. Equally media have
also reached the limits, in terms of what is possible for improving message
quality and developing their services on analogue system. As far as the media
is concerned the future technology for the industry in Nigeria is digital. This
is because the digital technology gives the media industry a way forward. Thus
the media will be able to offer programme channels as well as increase in
magnitude of option and quality of printed material.
He further observes that it also enables the media to offer
quality signals and materials, which are less vulnerable to degradation by
environmental conditions, sharper picture quality, bright printed material,
wide screen and high sound quality in the short wave and medium wave bands,
comparable to frequency modulations or compact disk sound w\quality. However,
the new technology requires journalists to learn new skills such as how to
conduct relevant searches on the web and how to interview by e-mail.
THE ROLE OF THE PRESS IN NIGERIA
The media have been apportioned key roles in the polity
because of their watchdog role. They constitute intervening variables in
government society relations, as they interpret government policy to the
people. This explains their position as a bridge between the government and the
people. Thus the press in the course of operation as the fourth estate of the realm
is of the judgment responsibility in applauding government achievements and
constructively criticizing any misdemeanor.
However, in Nigeria’s nascent democracy in as much as the
people are of right to be well informed. It is imperative therefore that the
media feed the people with accurate information and make them active
participants in politics affecting their destiny. This could be achieved,
through communication with the citizenry for national development.
Meanwhile it is the media that can tarnish such information
to the people at large constantly and regularly. Onabani (2004) observes that
the media can reach the largest section of the society, directly or through
secondary readership and viewer ship, regularly, instantly and also intimately almost
every hour of the day. Apart from the twenty –four hours news bulletins of the
electronic media.
CONCLUSION
In this study, the researcher tried to analyze the impact of
information technology, as a veritable tool for media development. This is underlined
by the influence of digital technology to achieve this goal.
In Nigeria, the media industry in consonance with their
numerous roles as the fourth estate of the realm, should view the adoption of
digital technology as an important aspect of development priories. This enables
for free flow of information and easy accessibility, of information and
knowledge. Accordingly, the free flow of information can check he widening gap,
between the information rich and the information –poor in Nigeria.
With regards to the findings, which justify the theories
given in chapters one and two .it is believed that he impact of information
technology, is an influential factor for media development.
It
should be noted that technology is bound to change as the society develops as
such the media must always be at alert to be able to keep up with the ever
changing technology in the world. The changing technologies in the Nigerian
mass media offers new means of reaching out to the teeming population as well
as the audience due to its interactive nature which gives room for feedback as
well as immediate communication.
The
various media in Nigeria have passed through various developmental changes
which have altered the traditional ways by which information was being disseminated
or circulated. It can therefore be said that the media has evolved over time
through various stages and has been able to survive and adapt to the various
changing technologies obtainable in the society.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As a result of the conclusion drawn from the finding
and the summary above, the following recommendations are made:
1.
Media
should deem it imperative, to conform with the conversion from analogue to
digital technologies.
2.
The
media also should not neglect the adoption of this trend otherwise they cannot
meet the pace of globalization.
3.
Media
planners and those generally involved in the media business must be abreast of
the various technological changes so as to be able to match up against any form
of innovation that could affect the media industry.
4.
Also, the
technological changes obtainable in the developed societies have been put to
good use in the development of the society it is therefore recommended that
media personnel capitalize on the importance of this technologies by
translating them into developmental tools in the society.
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