EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIO IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT

EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIO IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT

(A STUDY ON RAY POWER 100.5 ABUJA)

ABSTRACT

Radio can be said to be the most used and viable medium for mass communication. This is basically because of its simplicity and durability. It reaches man in the most remote and urban situation. Therefore, its management is of paramount importance as far as crisis management is concern. With the recent increase in crisis in the country, this research focuses on the application of radio and its programme as a medium and channel of both technical and creative exercise in solving these crisis, and suggest better ways of using radio as a medium in solving these crisis.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1     INTRODUCTION

Communication has been in existence since man’s creation on earth. Man is seen as a social animal and cannot but communicates in order to socialize.

Communication is essential every area of our lives as individuals and as groups. The desire to communicate is urn ate in man and even babies, who in their own way express their needs and feelings by crying, laughing, groaning etc, exhibit this.

Man has diverse needs and the only way through which these needs can be expressed and fulfilled is through communication. We communicate to share information, ideas, to persuade, to influence relationships and satisfy several other needs. In the words of Hybels and Weaver.

To live is to communicate, To communicate effectively is to enjoy life more filly.

As social beings, we interact with our kind in order to satisfy our various needs. This desire explains why we engage in one form of communication or another almost all the time.

As we move from the personal level to the family and some larger group, we discover that we employ different forms of communications to fulfill certain social obligations or responsibilities. The truth is that people cannot interact without some form of communication.

However, we find out that even though we are always communicating, we are not always effective in the art. We are often misunderstood, offended, frustrated, and disappointed because of wrong approach to communication, which amount to ineffectiveness, Effective communication is the secret of success in most of our endeavors, communicating effectively apart from the pleasure it provides, It give solution to many problems and needs.

Unfortunately, most people do not enjoy the pleasure which effective communication gives because they seem not to understand the skills the art requires. Recently, Nigeria has been plugged in various crisis, such as Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Fulani Herdsmen and Communal clashes, all because of lack of understanding each other.

We will succeed in our relationships and interactions with others, if we fully grasp the fact the essence of communication or the goal, the ultimate aim of every exchange is the transfer of meaning. Communication is effective when the listeners understand the intended meaning of the speaker.

Verderber (1984) describe effective communication in the following words “Effective Communication is communication in which the meaning from intended information is passed between the sender and the receiver. In short, effective communication is shared meaning, shared ideas, and feelings”. Many communication experts have agreed that of all affairs of human society, communication is most wonderful.

This is because from the onset, communication was necessary before the people could bind together into society by communication; man maintains his social institution, each with its values and ways of behaving, not only from day to day, but from generation to generation.

In every society, communication performs four (4) functional roles. They are the roles of informing, teaching, entertaining, and forum.

Every society has its watchers who provide other members of that society with information and interpretations of events and report on the threats and dangers as well as good ones and opportunities.

Society also sues its communication system as a teacher to pass the social heritage from one generation to another. This can be compared to the institution of the home, church and the school.

Entertainment as a function of mass communication is to amuse and provide a palatable learning situation.

Communication is said to be written, verbal, and non-verbal. It is written when it’s intended or to be transmitted is put down on paper or it’s scripted. Examples are newspapers, magazines, books etc. Communication with the use of words is known as verbal and it may take an oral or written form.

The nonverbal communication comprises of body movements, the space of distances put between people and the manner in which we speak.

Mass communication has it different medium of passing messages across to the people. This medium are television, newspapers, magazines etc. hence, this research work will dwell on the EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIO IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT.

“Radio as a medium of mass communication is an effective tool that can he use to curb crisis since it takes news of event and activities available to the widest audience”, Dan E. (2006).

The role which radio plays in the transmission of information, cultural values, and indeed crises management is generally beyond questions. Radio is the oily medium of mass communication, which takes news of events and activities available to the widest audience m these developing societies.

In the performance of these tasks, radio feeds the people about what was what is and is likely to be, thus making it possible for individuals, group, and communities to re-adjust themselves in ways that best suits their situation.

In the recent past few years, so much attention have been given to crises management or rather ways of curbing crises and to experiment, which have proof on several occasions that radio broadcasting if technically or sk1Ifully used can turn out to be the most effective medium of communication and mass education in the area of crises management. The relative success of radio in us informational role led to the demand for the use of the medium in crises period hut radio rule in the field of crises management is not on 11w face of it quite event.

In fact talking about crises management, broadcasting seems quite paradoxical because a crisis by its nature implies a period & great danger, difficulty, or uncertainty, which arises when certain decisions are not wholly or partly accepted by a particular group or groups. Broadcasting is addressed to very wide heterogeneous and different public generally unknown a very little known.

However, it is the characteristics ability of the radio to reach people even in remote parts of the country that makes the medium popular choice for use in crisis management but this choice is usually based on the believes that radio can be a channel for crisis management and resolution when there is no burn for exchange of ideas among the people or broadcast messages.

This implies that people will believe and accept whatever they hear from the radio. People; even illiterates’ impoverished rural communities are not blank “magnetic” sheets that attract to themselves by any materials coming within magnetic fields. Everybody or individual is a human being with his or her hopes and aspirations, yearnings, experiences, relationships and psychological makeup, & which along with the social and cultural content in which he lives, determines what he or she and or what he or she is capable of assimilating au what situation he or she can cope with. It is in light of this that the role of radio can be effectively carried out in crisis management.

These therefore appear to be a conflict between the capabilities of radio broadcasting and the demand for curbing crisis. If they are to be compatible companion in the task of raising the standard of awareness of the people in the area of crisis and its aftermath.

First, crisis has to be seen not in the content in which life goes on in the area where new ideas are discussed freely and decisions on them are taken collectively.

Secondly, radio station should be able to processed information received  and send the message to the society so that they can see the effect of crisis, making full use of the condition for both parties to go ahead to dialogue and exchange ideas. These changes will obviously remove the apparent conflict between the wide coverage but generally impersonal quality of radio and interpersonal communication and personal contact demand of crisis management.

It is then, can radio hope to be effective technique in the task of curbing crisis among millions and thousands of people who live in the cities and villages.

Radio effectiveness depends however, not only on its intrinsic on how it is used and what purpose it is used for.

1.2     STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

As already said; radio is the only medium of mass communication in which rural impoverished and illiterate rural communities can benefits directly. Therefore, radio should, be the only medium that can foster communication that desired it.

The present system of broadcasting in the, county especially towards crisis management leaves much to be desired; also, the present system of broadcasting also lacks the requisite for effective and efficient crisis management.

Crisis management programs are always prepared with little regard for the requirement of the people who are directly involved in the crises and without proper adjustment to institutional objectives and demand of field contact. There is lack of coordination among the different organizations carrying out messages that stands out to curtail crisis and also promoting out the ills of crisis to the well being of the society. Therefore this research becomes important to analyse the effectiveness of radio in crisis management.

1.3     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study is to enable us to understand and appreciate the critical ability of Radio as the most effective and efficient medium of mass Communication that has the ability to reach people even in the most remote part of the society and the role it plays towards crisis management both local, states, national and international levels.

This research work will also afford us once in a lifetime golden opportunity to know how well or otherwise.

1.4     PURPOSE OF TUE STUDY

This research would not have come in a better and a more convenient time than now, where crisis eruption and the threads of its deeds are ravaging the country and the needs to use the most efficient medium (Radio) to curtail it, it will also improve mutual understanding among groups that are prone to crisis.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions programme shall serve as a guide to researcher towards achieving the objectives of the research:

1. Do you think radio programme has ways of curbing crisis
2. Do programme on radio convinced easily?
3. What are the impacts of radio programme in crisis management?

 1.6      LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is limited to the analysis of the radio crisis management in Nigeria with a particular interest on Ray Power 100.5FM Abuja.

1.7     DEFINITION OF TERMS

Radio:- Is a process of sending messages and receiving messages by electromagnetic waves.

Social Cultural: – Study of human society and activities.

Programs: – Plan of procedure, broadcast performance.

Crisis: Decisive movement time of acute difficult.

Management: Have control of something, people etc.

Messages: Spoken or written communication with moral or social teaching.

Communication:- It is the process of passing information between two or more people through previously agreed symbol.

Effectiveness:- This is the outcome or activeness of something.

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