This study was carried with the sole objective of determining the impact of Newspaper and Television as envoys of social development (A Case Study of Aku in Igbo Etiti L.G.A in Enugu State). The researcher identified the literature relating to the topic under study was received through both primary and secondary sources of literature. The researcher used survey research design that enable him to seek for pundits opinions on the topic as well as collected data and inteprete same. Also, the researcher used 200 respondents as the population, as the sample size of the study. He analyze the data for the study and tested the findings of the study. The findings of the study showed that, Newspaper and Television are envoys of social development in Aku in Igbo Etiti L.G.A of Enugu State. The researcher summarized the topic under study drew conclusion and made recommendations based on the findings he made.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background Of The Study

Newspaper and television are too powerful media of communication use to achieve all sort of social development. Their roles or inputs in the social-political, economic and other forms of development, cannot be over emphasized. Both are mass media which use numbers of characteristics to make impact on their different audience members. For instance, Newspaper requires the skill of reading for its messages to be understood as well as making meaningful on its readers/audience.

In the other hand, television requires that the viewers understands the language used as the medium of communication for the need to combine sights and sounds to make meaning to the viewers

This is why Okenwa (2002:1) stated that “communication is central to the process of developments to an extent that the dependence of one on the other has virtually been taken for granted” also, Ukozor and Nwodu (2003:77) states that “the primary motive of embarking on development communication is to create adequate awareness about the development projects meant to enhance about the well-being of the inhabitants of a given society and by so doing sensitize their adoption of the project. In line with this, the role of newspaper and television as agents of social development can be said to be effective when the two media are properly used to achieve the process of development in all ramifications.

To develop is to grow and advance. Growth and advancement cannot be achieved without proper information flow: Udeze (2002:8) states “He who controls information controls the economy” it means that economic advancement brings about development at any level can only be said to be sustained where there is media use media access and media impacts. These factors are at the very heart of development. This may have prompted Nwosu (1990:17) to states: The mass media effects on people because they reinforce people’s attitudes and behaviours.

This is because they saw the mass media of communication as possessing that magical awareness creating, innovative, knowledge imparting, empathy-raising and knowledge and skill empathy-raising and knowledge and skill multiplying capabilities required for rural and national development.

This means that the role of newspapers and television as envoys of socio development in the development of Aku Community in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State cannot be over emphasized.

Statement of the Research Problem

Many rural communities in Nigeria today have not embraced development because they do not have access to do what it takes to develop. It must also be stated that the role of mass media in general and newspaper and television in particular has not been properly determined in the achievement of development as well as their functions of rural development because they have been under-utilized.

Also, newspaper and television are two different mass media that uses different means to make impact on the masses or their audiences.

The problems now lies in the fact that rural communities like Aku have not pertinently used these media for their social development. Also the rural dwellers in these communities are not properly informed by the two media on what social development entails.

Again illiteracy level is a problem in reading newspaper as well as in understanding its contents on social development and lack of basic amenities like steadily power supply, poor telecommunications use among others have made it possible for television to be effectively used in rural areas for all kinds of development.

These problems listed above among others led the researchers to embark on this type of study.

Objective of the Study

The following are the objectives of this study. They include

1. To determine whether newspaper and television play an important role as agents of social development of Aku Community in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

2. To determine whether rural areas in Nigeria have access to development communication for their social development.

3. To determine whether mass media in general play an important role in the over all development of Aku Community.

4. To find out whether newspaper is more effective in social development than television or vice versa.

5. To find out illiteracy as a problem in social development of rural areas in Enugu State.

6. To find out if these are basic amenities in Aku Community in Igbo-Etiti L.G.A of Enugu State to encourage social development.

7. To make recommendations for further studies on the topic and for policy formulations in the topic of study.

Research Questions

Based on the objectives of the study, they include:

(1) Do newspaper and television play important roles as envoys of social development of Aku Community in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

(2) Do rural areas in Nigeria have access to development communication for their social development?

(3) On mass media in general play important role in the development of Aku Community in Igbo Etiti L.G.A of Enugu State.

(4) Is newspaper more effective in social development of rural areas than television?

Scope of the Study

This will cover Aku Community in Igbo Etiti L.G.A. of Enugu State, it will also cover development agents in the state and Nigeria in general as well as mass media organization in Enugu State. It also covered the entire development experts and others who contribute to all sorts or rural and national development in Nigeria.