Abstract

This study focuses on the influence of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper using oredo local government area in Benin city, Edo state as a case study.  A proper research was carried out to find out if quality photographs are often used with article on the Nigerian observer Newspaper, to ascertain if readers’ retention is influenced by the photographs on the Nigerian observer newspaper, to examine if news photographs influences readers’ patronage of the Nigerian observer newspaper, to investigate if photographs captivates the attention readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper, and to know if readers prefer articles with photographs to articles without photographs.

In carrying out the research, research questions are been set in order to direct the researcher in administration of questionnaires. There is also review of relevant literature on related topics to the study. Questionnaires which was the instrument used was given 40 respondents were drawn from in Oredo local government area of Edo state by the researcher. The result obtained from the questionnaire was analysed and conclusion was derived from the analyzed result. One of the conclusions derived from the analyzed result is that that photographs aids the attentiveness, retention and attractiveness of the readers to the Nigerian observer newspaper.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Nigerian Observer is a daily newspaper published in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, it has been published since 29 May 1968 and it is owned by the Edo state government. Since the development of the camera in 1893, the impacts of images on retention and attention have been debated. Shortly after it’s invention, the camera was proclaimed as the tool that could portray scientific data without subjective intervention, and was viewed as “the most accurate mechanism for revealing the physical world, the lens of the camera being more accurate than the lens of a human eye” (Andersen, 1989).

It is widely understood and accepted that images used in news can “stir emotions and foster public outcry like no other means of expression” (Zillman 2007). Images are powerful means of easily expressing emotion in a language that all people speak. When the image of the spontaneous execution of the Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon by General Nguyen Ngoc Loan was released to the American public, this image sparked an emotional response by the nation, calling for the American government to change it’s practices, and a huge antiwar opinion across the nation. Similarly to what occurred in Vietnam, photographic images and film footage of the poverty and governmental problems in Somalia entered into the American media stream. The public witness of images of severely malnourished, deformed and handicapped children and adults in Somalia, incited the arrival of American governmental aid to the African country. After a period of time in Somalia, images of murdered American soldiers being dragged through the streets while being spit upon by Somalis filtered back to the United States, which promptly changed the public’s opinion of the situation. This change of opinion called for an immediate withdrawal of aid from the country. Photography allows people to see the world from many different and unusual vantage points that they quite possibly might not have viewed before (Mendelson, 2001).

Photography (and film) has made the world smaller, allowing people from around the world to view other cultures, ideas, events and practices without witnessing them first hand. At the same time though, the growing use of imagery in news reporting and daily life has been characterized a ‘picture flood.’ In this sense of an inundation of imagery, a developing debate is centered on the question, “if images persist in memory longer and more vividly than text and verbalizations, all while exerting a stronger influence on perception and judgment, will they diminish the function of text and language altogether?” (Knobloch, 2003). Therefore this study focuses on the influence of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper, using Newspaper readers in oredo LGA of Benin city as a case study.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Since the inception of newspaper, a major problem has been how to sustain the readers’ attention. The very catching explanatory effects of pictures in newspapers have been about its usefulness. Sometimes one wonders what the fate of the readers would have been without pictorial images which help translate or explain concepts and a given message. There have been speculations however that those pictures sometimes are irrelevant as they make the newspapers too colorful and childish.

The need for photography in news articles cannot be overemphasized. One of the importance of photography on articles in newspaper is that it enhances comprehension of the readers, the absence of photographs prevents the readers from having an overview of what the article is all about. Most readers don’t have enough time to read news article in details but the use of photography helps the reader to know which article it worth spending reading.

Readers tend to patronage newspapers with photographs more than those without photographs because photography captivates and draw the attention of readers to the newspaper thereby increasing the number of reader patronizing the newspaper. In as much as photographs attracts readers to the newspaper, the quality of the photographs is also very important. Most newspaper have photographs that are blur and unattractive. The need to make use of high quality and clear photographs must be prioritized by the publishers. So this problems make it glaring that there is a need to carry out a study on the influence of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study is to examine the influence of photographs on the readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper. The specific objectives of the study include the following:

1.     To find out if quality photographs are often used with article on the Nigerian observer Newspaper.

2.     To ascertain if readers’ retention is influenced by the photographs on the Nigerian observer newspaper.

3.     To examine if news photographs influences readers’ patronage of the Nigerian observer newspaper.

4.     To investigate if photographs captivates the attention readers of the Nigerian observer newspaper.

5.     To know if readers prefer articles with photographs to articles without photographs.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The relevant research questions related to this study include the following:

1.     Are quality photographs often used with article on the Nigerian observer Newspaper?