THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE IN NIGERIA

THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE IN NIGERIA

(A case study of Osun State Broadcasting corporation and Nigeria tribune

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
The contribution of the healthcare sector to the growth and development of the entire economy cannot be overemphasized. As the saying goes, “Health is wealth”, the health sector is critical to social and economic development with ample evidence linking productivity to healthcare delivery. In Nigeria, the vision of becoming one of the leading largest 20 economies of the world by the year 2020 is closely tied to the development of its human capital through the sustainable healthcare (Babatunde, 2009). Also, aside from the federal, state and local government’s ministries, departments and parastatals, healthcare industry is among the top in terms of employment of labor and provision of good healthcare to the general mass, considering its enormous contribution to sustaining human live, it become imperative to discuss the role of mass media in achieving sustainable healthcare in Nigeria.
Mass media provide information among people at large so that there is acceptance of any idea to create interest. Mass media displays information about health and make people aware so as to prevent the spread of various diseases. There are various types of mass media (magazines, television, internet, newspapers, etc.). The media have the power to set and direct our attention towards certain issues in society. This is the agenda setting theory of the mass media. In the words of Cohen (1963), the media “may not be successful in telling their readers what to think, but are stunningly successful in telling their readers what to think about”. Freimuth et al. (1984) have shown that many people rely on the news media for their health-related information.
Policy makers also obtain considerable amount of information from the media. As Bryant and Thompson (2002) have suggested that news coverage of health matters takes on considerable significance that has the potential to shape the impression of average citizens and powerful policy makers alike. In the words of Brown and Walsh-Childers (1994), news coverage of health “tends to ascribe the power to control individuals’ health to medical experts using high-technology equipment”. Studies have also shown that the news media tend to increase their coverage of health concerns as they affect the society’s mainstream and/or the greatest number of people in their audience. The purpose of the content analysis is to study systematically health related messages in different communication media. The communication media can be divided into electronic and print media. The electronic media such as television and radio, and print media such as newspaper and magazine were used in this study. The communication media are dominant feature of our day to day life and available both in domestic and public environments. They intend to engage people, to convey some kind of information, and to produce reactions in their audiences which justify their continuing production. Sometimes the main message is clear to the audience but it is also likely that some other meaning is produced in audience mind unconsciously. The purpose of these messages is to engage an audience and influence his/her way of thinking about certain subject. There is a greater demand and need for accurate, relevant, rapid and impartial public health information by people, and a growing reliance on mass media as the main source of information. The public health community usually looks to the media for support, attention and endorsement and are considered as a primary source of health and science information, even for health professionals. On the other hand, they are also seen as an important tool to disseminate health information to the population. The news media are quite important in furnishing the public with health information. In line with the agenda-setting theory.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The major problem of this work is to study how mass media can be employed in achieving a sustainable health care since health is wealth. Mass media being a carrier of information has the ability to educate and sanitized people on how to live healthy even in an epidemics environment. However, the research will examine how mass media can be adopted in health awareness among the people.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to examine the role of mass media in achieving a sustainable healthcare in Nigeria with particular reference to Osun State Broadcasting corporation and Nigeria tribune.
The specific objectives include:
To examine the extent which mass media can be used in achieving a sustainable healthcare
To examine whether OSBC and Nigeria Tribute educate and enlighten the people on health matter
To examine how OSBC and Nigeria Tribute programme improved the health education and awareness among the people.
To examine if mass media message has reduced maternal mortality and children death in the society.
1.4 Research Questions
To what extent can mass media be used in achieving a sustainable health care?
Does OSBC and Nigeria Tribute educate and enlighten the people on health matter?
Has OSBC and Nigeria Tribute programme improved the health education and awareness among the people?
Does OSBC and Nigeria Tribute message reduce mentality and child death?
1.5 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is limited to the examination of the role of mass media in achieving a sustainable healthcare in Nigeria. This is due to limited time available to carry out this work, lack of adequate funds, scarcity of relevance materials and this work, geographical nature of Nigeria and other logistics have made the researcher to narrowed the work down to Osun State Broadcasting corporation and Nigeria tribune.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will be Government as they will see reason to partner with mass media in reaches and creating awareness for the health policy and programmes. International organization like world health organization and other none Governmental agency can through mass media programme educates and enlightens the masses. Media house will at the end of this work see themselves as the eyes, ear and nose for the masses that passive, feel and disseminate health matters before it resulting to causality through surveillance of community.
1.7 Limitation to the Study
Time: there is a limited time in carryout this work. Material: A relevant material on this work is relatively scarce as many previous researchers do not focus much at tension on privatization of media. Finance: at the time of carrying out this research there was no enough money to explore internet and travel as many as possible to the study area.
1.8 Definition of the Terms
Roles: These are the functions or contribution on something or somebody. Mass Media: These are tee means of communication to a large people residing in different areas examples of such are: radio, television, newspaper and magazines. Achieve: This means succeed in doing by effort or skills or courage or ability to release something. Sustainable: It is the ability to develop or improve something to support something. Healthcare: The state of being free from illness or injury.

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2XgWsfo
via IFTTT