ABSTRACT
The
study focuses on television as agent of social development with Igbajo
community area of Osun state as a case study. Television is one of the engines
that propel the social development for its continuity and realization through:
Informing, entertaining, and persuading. Television is a powerful tool for
social change in any society; it can be studied in its various roles as an
agent of social change, a reflector of dominant values, and as a reinforcer of
dominant values. Especially on cultural values by projecting the social norms
on how infant, adolescents, women e. t. c are expected to behave and further
develop the society. A critical review to related literature was made. Relevant
theories which were used to gratify the study were Development media theory, the agenda-setting theory and cultural
norms theory. Quantitative research design was used in which cross-sectional
survey method was adopted while the data collection instrument was
questionnaire. From the findings of the study, it is safe to conclude that
television being an audio visual medium has potential of influencing the
opinion and social behavior of every individual especially the youth on how to
eat, what to say, what to wear, how to think and how to interact and associate
with other fellow member in the society. It is evident in this research that
ownership control coupled with lack of enough equipment are major challenges
facing mass media in performing the role of social development expected of
them. It is therefore recommended that
journalists should be trained and retrained on their social responsibility role
expected of them. Media owners should make provision for equipment and other
logistics that can enable the television serves the public better especially on
the area of socialization and social development by design some programmes.
