CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1` BACKGROUND TO
THE STUDY
Mass
media have been a major agent of socialization and tools for social changes
especially now that people depend on message from mass media.
The
potential power of the mass media to help solve social problems. Television,
radio and print advertising can entice people to buy a wide range of products
and services, and television entertainment programs and movies exert enormous
influence over our ideas, values and behavior.
Therefore,
according to conventional wisdom, it should be possible to use mass
communications to get people to act on behalf of their own health and
well-being or to “do right” by important social causes. Based on this
assumption, since World War II, federal, state and local governments, private
foundations and other nongovernmental organizations have sponsored hundreds of
public service campaigns to promote social rather than commercial “goods”
(DeJong and Winsten, 1998).
It is not
surprising, then, that prevention advocates would look to the mass media as an
important aid in addressing the problem of high-risk drinking among college
students.
Some
advocates have pushed for reform or other restrictions on alcohol advertising
(DeJong and Russell, 1995). Others have sought to influence entertainment
producers to end the glorification of high-risk drinking on television and in
the movies (Montgomery, 1989). More recently, prevention advocates have
produced a small number of media campaigns designed to change student
knowledge, attitudes and behavior.
How can
the power of the mass media be used effectively to reduce high-risk drinking
among college students? To explore that question, this article begins by
reviewing three types of mass media campaigns focused on student drinking:
information, social norms marketing, and advocacy.
This is
followed by a review of key lessons for campaign design derived from work in
commercial marketing, advertising and public relations and from past public
health campaigns. The article concludes by suggesting how future campaigns on
student drinking might be constructed so that they work in sync with
environmentally focused prevention efforts now being implemented on college
campuses.
Most
media campaigns focused on college student drinking have been campus based,
using a mix of posters, flyers, electronic mail messages and college newspaper
advertisements. More recently, a few regional, state and national media
campaigns have begun to address this issue as well.
The
following review describes three types of campaigns. First, information
campaigns try to raise awareness of the problem, usually with the intent of
motivating students to avoid high-risk alcohol use. Second, social norms
marketing campaigns try to correct misperceptions of current drinking norms,
based on the idea that if students no longer have an exaggerated view of how
much alcohol their peers are consuming, fewer of them will be led to engage in
high-risk drinking. Third, advocacy campaigns attempt to stimulate support for
institutional, community or public policy change. Unfortunately, evaluation
data for all three types of campaigns are still very limited.
Information
campaigns “Party Smart” is a media awareness campaign launched by Boston Mayor
Thomas M. Menino as a response to the 1997 death of Scott Krueger, a freshman
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who died from alcohol poisoning
after a fraternity hazing. Each of the advertisements for this poster and
billboard campaign uses a photograph taken from the point of view of a drinker,
with the rhetorical tagline, “Remind you of last night?” One shows the blurry
image of a toilet, the apparent target of an intoxicated drinker who needs to
vomit. Another shows the splayed feet of a drinker lying in bed, the room
spinning rapidly around him. A third shows a covey of young women pointing and
laughing at a drinker (presumably a male) who has passed out or fallen on the
floor.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The
continuous abuse of these drugs, has lead to a situation of drug addicted
unloved developing a bondage to the drug. Drug therefore a state of period, or
choice intoxication produced by repeated consummation of a drug (natural or
synthetic) its characteristics are on over powering compulsives to continue in taking the drug, tend
only to increase the dose, and the desire to obtain it by all means –situation
that often leads to various crimes, including the distortions of national economies, monetary. Polices due to
laundering of profits, narcotic, crimes
(especially violence, cultism, assai sedation, and moral , decadence among our youth)The effects
of drug abuse one detrimental not only to the individual but to the society as
a whole ,yet this problem is on the increase tent news about drug abuse
involving ones in higher institution of learning ,choose the serious threat to
our national scanty ,can the electronic media as a vehicle for information
dissemination be relied upon to perform its role in the society, to join hand
in the battle against drug abuse?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
i.
To examine whether NTA and
OSBC educate and enlighten the general public on drug abuse?
ii.
To know if mass media
awareness on drug abuse has reduced the unlawful
use of drug in society?
iii.
To know if there is any
problem facing OSBC and NTA in creating awareness on drug abuse?
iv.
To know if mass media
contribute to drug abuse through advertisement and
alcohol promo?
v.
To examine if OSBC and NTA
present adequate information on effect of drug
abuse to the people in society?
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Do NTA
and OSBC educate and enlighten the general public on drug abuse?
Has mass
media awareness on drug abuse reduce the unlawful use of drug in society?
Is there
any problem facing OSBC and NTA in creating awareness on drug abuse?
Do mass
media promote drug abuse through advertisement and alcohol promo?
Do OSBC
and NTA educate and enlighten the general public on the bad effect of drug abuse?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
research will benefit different people, organization, and government and other
agencies especially youth.
This
study has important
contribution to make in
the education of drug abuse among our youths in our national network stations.
Drug abuse has a debilitation effect on the he health of the nation.
irresponsible ,unemployable ,indeed, there is a danger of the waste of Nigeria
next generation if the best of Nigeria youths will be consumed by an addiction
that will leave trappable of productive employment or social reductions .the
national security implication, hence the need for the media to intensity their
role and fin hands with various organization like the national drug law
enforcement glance (melba) and National Food and Drug Administration Committee (NAFDAC) to combat this scrounge in all
its ramification. Our higher national network activity should also be
encouraged through their curriculum to expose the effects of the drug abuse. .
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study
has been limited to NTA and OSBC in Osogbo due to time, geographical structure
of Nigeria and other logistics since it is very difficult if not impossible to
study all the media organizations in Nigeria. The research focuses on the role
of mass media in creating awareness about drug abuse.
1.7 LIMITATION TO THE STUDY
Wide
research of this nature cannot be carried out without some constrains, this
constrains pose a lot of limitations to this work.
Duration
for the research work is relatively short.
Stress
emanated from other academic activities is also another constrain.
Little
materials are also available because the work is relatively new.
Financial
constrain poses another challenges.
Most
information are gathered through newspapers and internet.
1.8 DEFINITION OF THE TERMS
Role: This is synonymous to the function or contribution of something or
somebody.
Mass Media: These are means of communication to a larger audience. these are
represented by radio, television, newspaper and magazine.
Creating Awareness: It means making it known
to the public or popular
Drug: Drug is a substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating or
enhancing performance or other effect in human body.
Drug Abuse: Is the use of drugs or substances in which the
user consumes the substance in amount or with methods neither approved or nor
supervise by medical professionals e. t. c
NTA: Nigerian Television Authority
OSBC: Osun State Broadcasting Corporation
