A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NEWSPAPER

READERSHIP ATTITUDES

AMONG MALE AND FEMALES STUDENTS IMT, ENUGU

ABSTRACT

In recent years, editors, newspaper owners and managers had been faced with the problem of determining the choice preference to their newspaper content by undergraduate of higher institutions of learning.

This research, study which compare and analyses the newspaper readership attitude among male and female undergraduates of higher institutions of higher learning.

This research used the sample survey method of social science research to validate its assumptions and research question. And for obvious reasons and constraints, students of institute of Management and technology (IMT) Enugu, in Enugu state were administered questionnaires. Therefore, it is the case study of this research.

This research, however, aims at comparing, identifying and analyzing the newspaper readership attitude among male and female students of higher institutions with the ultimate result of finding out the choice preference as regards to content.

Also, this research will in no small way help the editors and newspaper manger and publishers in the determination and prominence given to some items in order to promote wider readership among students.

This study will also increase student’s awareness and contributions to both national and international issues. Also it will enhance and encourage greater patronage among the student’s profit to the publisher’s.

Finally, the expected results due to the past studies on this topic will be that male student’s read both information on national and international news more than female student’s read more of entertainment than male student’s.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

• Background of the study 1 – 3
• Statement of the research problem 4
• Objectives of the study                                    4 – 5
• Significance of the study 6
• Research Question 6
• Research Hypothesis (including Null)                             7
• Definition of Terms 8
• Assumptions 9

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• Limitations of the study 9 – 10

 

CHAPTER TWO

Review of the literature

• Literature review 11
• Literature review               11 – 20
• Summary of the Literature review 21

Reference                                                                         22 – 24

 

CHAPTER THREE

Methodology

• Research method                                              25
• Research design 26
• Research sample 26 – 27
• Measuring instrument                                            28 – 29
• Data Collection 29

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3.6   Data Analysis                                                                            29

3.7    Expected Results                                                               29 – 30

 

CHAPTER FOUR

Data analysis and results

• Data analysis 31
• Results                                                                      31 – 41
• Discussions 41 – 44

Sample Questionnaire                                                             45

Questionnaire                                                                  46 – 47

 

CHAPTER FIVE

• Summary and conclusion 48 – 50
• Recommendations                                 50 – 53

Notes                                                                                54 – 56

Bibliography                                                                    57 – 6

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Since the introduction of first newspaper in Nigeria, “Iwe Illinois” by a missionary Rev. Henry Townsend in 1959, several of newspaper, both weekly and daily have spring up.

The growth of Nigeria press from later 50’s till now has become more tedious and immense because of the social, political and economic revolution that this country is undergoing. It contributed immensely to the present situation, with increased tasks on the newspaper in order to maintain its role as role as the watchdog of the society.

With many newspapers in circulation, readership attitude have changed considerably. Also the interest in newspaper contents changed variably with the content. Some people like to read about politics, economy, foreign news sport (information), while others are interested in reading cartoons, fashion trends, feminine fancies, human-interest stories or news, crime and accident reports.

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Many newspaper organizations abroad are constantly carrying out readership attitude researchers to know their reader interest and preferences so that they can adjust the contents of their newspaper in order to sustain and increase their numerous readers.

In Nigeria, however the case is not so similar as editors and newspaper managers are able to carry out readership attitude researches or studies on their newspaper organization to know the need of their readers and be able to maintain them increase total turnover and maximize profits.

Readership studies in newspapers also enable the newspaper organization to identify their female readers and strive to maintain and sustain interest. It is believed that the young female readers in the Nigeria society have negative response to the mass media especially the newspaper. It is also believed that this negative attitude of the female gender stems from fact that they are always engulfed in the activities. This in their immediate environment, other countries and the global world at large? Will they depend on their male counterparts? Are some of the questions that need answers?

However, several studies have proved that males are more likely to be newspaper readers than females. In a study done by Larry .I. Weber and

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Dan. K. Fleming, it was discovered that “boys read local nation and international news and also read daily newspaper more than the girls”.

Decision therefore to research into this subject was prompted by the observation made by some Nigeria that young woman hardly read newspaper, that men also read newspaper more often than woman and that woman readers are more interested in entertainment news like fashion and human interest stories, according to researcher carry by scholars on the impact of region and urbanization on newspaper readership done by Tillinghast (1981) Rural and Urbanization factors has nothing to do with the readership of newspaper. This was discovered by the work done by Amuzie Akpata, carried out on newspaper readership in 1982. A comparative study was made on newspaper readership habit of student from two secondary school, one in a rural environment and the other in an urban setting. It was also observed by this scholar that men tend to read more material that give serious information than woman.

 

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• STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

It is speculated that male students of higher institution of learning (institute of management and technology as a case study) tend to read newspaper more                                                                                                      than their female counterparts. Due to these speculations, this normally, disturbs the researcher’s mind because it is expected that both sexes should be showing equal or comparative concern towards newspaper reading. This research, aims at finding the major cause of the stated problem after establishing it existence.

 

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is generally to identify, define, explain scrutinize and analyze newspaper readership attitude among male and female student’s of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Enugu State. This study, among other things will find out the content of newspaper performance among female undergraduate as well as the male readership attitude or performance.

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          This study will try to find out the reason for the non-challant attitude exhibited by female students toward newspaper reading. The study will in addition establish if woman prefer other social activities to reading newspaper and if at all, the read newspaper, what they like to read increase they do?

In addition male readership attitude will be compared to that of the females. The aim of the study therefore, is to find out the readership

behaviour of the female student’s of institute of management and technology (if any) vis-à-vis the readership behaviour of the male students of the same institutions.

Efforts will also made in this study to find out if the readership attitude among the students is a result of time, cost preference for other mass medium, circulation and poor distribution networks. Lack of interest, contents and I – don’t like – to read attitude often exhibited by youths.

 

 

 

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• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Newspaper functions are to inform, educate, enlighten, mobilize, sensitize and entertain its numerous, dynamic and divers readers that are demographic and psychographics in composition. Therefore, because it will enable us to establish the extent to which the content of the media affects the male and female relationship and readership.

 

• RESEARCH QUESTUION

1. To what extent do male students read newspaper more than their female counterparts?
2. To what extent do male students read hard news, national and international issues more than female counterparts?
3. To what extend do female students concentrated on soft and human interest news and stories more than male students

 

 

 

 

 

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• RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Hi:     Male students are more likely to read newspaper more than female students

Ho:    Female students are more likely read less newspaper than male   students.

He:     Female students are more likely to seek information on national and international events (hard news) than female students.

Ho:    Female students are more like to read seek less information on national and international events (hard news) than male students.

H3:    Female students are more likely to read entertainment materials than male students.

Ho:    Male students are more likely to read entertainment material than female students.

 

 

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• DEFINITION OF TERMS
  • CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION

Readership:  The position or quality of being a readers.

Readership could also means the number of persons

Who read particular material newspaper?

Content:       Different material (e.g. news) etc carried in newspaper.

• OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

Readership:  Persons that reads newspaper whether male or female.

Newspaper contents:  Materials that are carried by a newspaper

e.g. editorial, news features, adverts, obituary etc.

• IDENTIFITION OF VARIABLE

The independent variable here is sex, while dependent variable are readership attitude or behaviour and newspaper content.

 

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• ASSUMPTION

The research work makes three assumptions.

1. That male studies are more likely to be newspaper read than female students.
2. That male student is more likely to read information on national and international news than female students.
3. That female student is more likely to read entertainment material than male students.

However, the data generated and collected to uphold the assumptions did not invalidate any of the three assumptions.

 

• LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is a comparative analysis of newspaper readership attitude among male and female students higher institution of learning. However, only the students of institute of Management and

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Technology, Enugu, Enugu State were sampled for obvious reasons. This is as a result of financial constraints and time back.

Also depleted stock of relevant books in the libraries also hampered the comprehensive outlook of the literature review.

Again, apathy displayed by some students towards filling the answer in the questionnaires and trying to dodge the scheduled interviews also hampered the overall study.

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