CHAPTER ONE

1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Communication is fundamental to human existence, be it in the economic, political or socio-

cultural spheres of life. It is equally pivotal to governance, development and progress in any

society. In its simple form, communication is the transmission of a message from a source to the

receiver. It has been broadly defined as the process by which elements of a society- whether as

individuals or members of groups or organizations- transmit their intentions, desires and feelings

about any matter to their fellows by means of words and symbols (Ayeni-Akeke 2008). Rayudu

(2007) also sees communication as a process involving the sorting, selecting and sending of

symbols in such a way as to help the listener perceive and recreate in his own mind, the meaning

contained in the mind of the communicator.According to Castells (2012) interpersonal

communication and other forms of communication must be differentiated from societal

communication. In the former, the designated sender(s) and receiver(s) are the subjects of

communication. In the latter, the content of communication has the potential to be diffused to

society at large: this is what is usually called mass communication.

Baran (2012) regarded mass communication as the process of creating shared meaning between

the mass media and their audience. Dominick (2011) asserts that mass communication is the

process by which a complex organization with the aid of one or more machines produces and

transmits public messages that are directed at a large heterogeneous and scattered

audience.Similary, Pearce (2009) defined mass communication as "the process by which a

person, group of people, or large organization creates a message and transmits it through some

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type of medium to a large, anonymous, heterogeneous audience." This implies that the audience

of mass communication are mostly made up of different cultures, behavior and belief systems.

In the broadest sense of the word, a medium is the channel through which a message travels from

source to receiver. When we talk of mass communication, we also need channels to carry the

message.These channels are regarded as mass media, Mytton (1983 as cited in Vivian, 2011)

defines mass media as the device or means of communication which include the mass circulation

of press, radio and television for the purpose of information, education, entertainment and

persuasion.Wood (2006) and Dominick (2013) identified books, film, television, radio,

newspapers, magazines, and the internet as examples of channels or media by which mass

communication reaches great numbers of people.According to Dominick (2013), mass media

does not only include the mechanical devices that transmit and sometimes store messages

(Television cameras, radio microphones, printing press) but all the institutions that use these

machines to transmit messages.The media of mass communication have long played a

fundamental role in people‟s lives. The media inform, persuade, entertain and even sell. Media

can provide companionship. They can shape perception. They can also transmit culture

(Ramanujam, 2009).

Culture according to Baran (2012), lends significance to human experience by selecting from and

organizing it. It refers to the learned behaviour of members of a given social group. Culture is a

historically transmitted pattern of messages embodied in symbolic forms by means of which

people communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitude toward life. A

people‟s culture includes their beliefs, rules of behaviour, language, rituals, art, technology,

styles of dress, ways of producing and cooking food, religion, political and economic systems.

(Geertz as cited in Taylor, 1991).Virtually all definitions of culture recognize that culture is

learned. Creation and maintenance of more or less common culture occurs through 2

communication, including mass communication and its channels.When we talk to our friends;

when a parent raises a child; when religious leaders instruct their followers, when teachers teach;

wh