Radio News Source Preference by Residents of UYO Urban, Nigeria

Abstract

Exposure to broadcast news by audience members is part of human information processing.  Radio is believed to be a major source of news on many local and national issues for many people in many countries. But it was uncertain whether the assumption was tenable in Nigeria. Selectivity plays significant role in audience members’ exposure to broadcast news.  The study set out to investigate which radio station(s) residents of Uyo residents tune to for news on important local and national issues. It also studied what factors influence their choice of radio station for news on socio-political crises in Nigeria. The findings showed that majority of the respondents prefer foreign radio stations – Voice of America (VOA) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for news on socio-political crises in Nigeria. The survey also revealed that media credibility exerted great influence on audience exposure to broadcast news and choice of broadcast medium for news. It is the submission of this work that the continuous presentation of one-sided point of view, whether in government-controlled media or privately-owned ones not only makes the audience hold their news content suspect but also makes such mass medium to rank low in terms of perceived credibility. One of the implications of that situation is that mass mobilization through such media would be difficult to achieve.  Consequently, it is the submission of this research that if broadcast media in Nigeria are to be reckoned trustworthy and reliable, diverse and balanced views on all issues in the news should always be presented.