NEWSPAPERS READING HABIT OF FEMALE STAFF OF NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Mass Communication

Abstract

The study was focused on readership habit of female staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi. The survey research method was adopted, and the researcher obtained a sample of 288 from the population of the study from whom data were obtained and analyzed. Data collected were presented in table and analyzed in simple percentage findings revealed that, most female staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, read newspaper occasionally. The researcher concludes based on the findings that the newspaper reading habit of the respondents is low. The researcher recommends that the management of the institution should endeavour to expand the subscription for national newspapers.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 BACKGROUD OF THE STUDY

Newspaper readership studies do perhaps seem to be confined to an observe corner of extent literatures. This probably many be as a result of the assumption that almost everybody reads newspapers for clear reasons; therefore, doing a newspapers readership study to ascertain how frequently, newspapers are read, why they are read and preference for a particular newspapers to the other appear rather to easy to deal with. However most researchers seem to concern themselves with matters of newspapers coverage of events in the society. As elementary as newspapers readership studies may appear to be, their centrality as forming sound foundation upon which further studies are built cannot be exaggerated (Layefa et al, 2016).

Readership studies, besides being the hub of further studies function as a key marketing tools. Advertisers probably would prefer a newspapers of wider coverage with a wider readership reach. Evidently, newspapers readership tends to indirectly influence the what and why of coverage of news events; for reporters, editors give space for events they know would be of interest to the readers. Oloruntola cited in Morka & Orukamayan, (2015) states that news should not only be in an absolute sense of being news, it should be the sort of news that the reader of the paper will likely want to read, a newspapers that satisfies the curiosity or readers is mot likely to be preferred to others.

There are plethora of newspapers researches; a greater percent bordering on newspapers coverage, ownership influence, and editorial readership. But none of those studies ever touched on newspapers reading habit among female civil servant. Therefore this study is different from existing ones in that it centers on newspapers reading habit among female staff in Tertiary institution.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Newspapers are known for the provision of up-to-date information on local, state, national and international events. Newspapers often contain current and interesting information meant for the reading pleasure of the vast majority readers in all walks of life. As an important print medium of mass communication, newspapers provide the most current analysis, debate and criticism of socio-political, economic health and a host of other issue as information, education and entertainment of the readers. The newspapers is no doubt, one of the most widely-read periodicals available and accessible to all on daily basis in print and electronic versions.

However evidence from large body of empirical literature suggest that newspapers readership is on the decline. Dominick (2002, P.14) notes that newspapers readership has been declining over the last couple of years. Udie (2002,p.100) also reports that the frequencies of newspapers readership among Nigerian youth is less then 50%. Biag. (2003,p.83) states that since the 1970s the overall number of newspapers has declined due to non readership.

Therefore, the problem of this study is to ascertain newspapers readership habit of female staff of tertiary institutions, with particular focus on Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital-Nnewi; Anambra State.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study is to know the newspapers reading habit of female staff of Nanamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital.

However the specific objectives are as follows:

1 To determine the pattern of newspapers readership among female staff of NAUTH

2. To ascertain the newspapers need most by the female staff.

3 To identify the uses female staff of NAUTH put newspapers into.

4. To ascertain the reasons for preference for a particular newspapers among female staff of NAUTH.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Based on the research objectives, the researcher proposed the following research questions.

- What is the pattern of newspapers readership habit of female staff of NAUTH?

- What is the newspapers read most by female staff of NAUTH?

- What uses do female staff of NAUTH put newspaper into

- What are the reasons for the preference for a particular newspaper to the others among female staff of NAUTH?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of this study will help editors of different newspapers to know the demography of their audience with the result obtained they will know what material to retain or remove from their newspaper content. The work also help newspapers to have better information characteristics of their audience and also what factors influence the preference of one particular newspaper over the other it will equally help newspaper house to learn what cause about shift in interest in certain category of their reading audience.

It will equally help editors to and publishers to know the psychological disposition their audience towards certain information.

1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY

The study is focused on the topic; newspapers reading habit of female staff of Tertiary Institutions a study of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital. The study area is limited to specified area only. The choice of area was the researcher's discretion.

1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY

The study would have expended this area of study but due to time limitation as well as high cost the was limited to female staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINATION OF TERMS

Newspaper: The printed decides e.g Puch, vanguard,

guardian etc.

Habit: The level of consumption (e.g daily,

weekly, occasional

Readership: The number or type of readers of a

newspaper.