Mass Communication

The Impact of Mass Media Campaign Against Aids Among Teenagers

The Impact of Mass Media Campaign Against Aids Among Teenagers

ABSTRACT

This study is aimed to ascertain the impact of a mass media campaign aimed to curb the spread of the diseases AIDS among teenagers in Enugu state. The objective of the study is also to find out through survey method whether the teenager is getting sufficient information about AIDS blue to enable them to inform their opinion about the diseases. The study took account of the sex, marital status, occupational variables that were of relevance to the study. The researcher uses the survey method with a questionnaire, interview as the test instrument so as get all the responses needed in this study. This no doubt, helped in collecting information as to the way people generally perceived the disease Aids it’s were in Nigeria since the mid-1980s.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The media has been established to provide for their audience, information on varieties of issues. By emphasizing certain topics stressing particular interpretations and projects specific themes the media creates some distorted impression with their “ definition” portraying a reflection of the real society ie if sexual promiscuity is regularly portrayed as widely practiced and accepted in this sense, the viewers may accept such definition as normative in the society because of media definition when somebody defines his/ her own over behavior in such a situation norms internalized from media sources may guide his conduct.

Simply by their presence, the mass media have altered the nature of social communication norm large audience has been created that expect the media to provide political commentary and another message. People depend on the media for various forms of gratification based upon content. If denied such communication, they feel deprived.

Benelson, (2000). Even in relatively underdeveloped societies, the population quickly develops. Societies habit once mass communication becomes available to them in the way they understand. People become aware of events outside their immediate experience.

People according to Walter Lippman (2003) act upon the basis of the pictures in our head rather than the reality of the world outside.

We have learned through research that the images and words the media carry, television, radio, and newspapers determine within the limitation posed by intervening factors, open by people and their actions.

It is believed that in the imperfect world, there is no single antidote to human ills but the public state is often a vital step in finding that cure for many social ills. In this line, therefore, it is believed that the extensive impact of media and true information on the AIDS campaign will be read and perhaps touch on the sexual habit of people. When a disease is sexually transmitted, the publicity effort to eradicate it is fortified. AIDS is the worst disease to hit the human race since the black plague of the 114th century. Already, 25 million unsuspected people have caught this disease and do not know it, and might not know it for years. (Van Impe: 1989: 1)

Historical Aspect of AIDS

The devastating disease “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) came into the world limelight in 1981 when Dr. Michael Goltiels of the University of Califonia noted an unusual disease pneumocystis Cabini Pnemnia, in four patients that were homosexual and all below 40 years of age (Njoku Obi 1989).

It is not yet known where AIDS started. It was a disgrace to the scientific community that the emergence of AIDS brought with a lot of buck-passing as regards the origin of the disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) explained it to be a virus of undermined geographic origin”. The first case of AIDS was identified in the US and was first recognized in Uganda in 1982. The virus disease AIDS is a relatively new arrival in Nigeria at least compared to many other countries. According to WHO Global 1988 AIDS/incidence inventory, the number of reported cases of AIDS was in Nigeria than in other countries of the world.

The African concord magazine who have developed full below AIDS in Nigeria as approximately 8,000 men and women, many of would have died. in the same issue, Dr. Olukove Ransome Kiti, then the minister of health, is quoted as saying. Even if we can prevent further transmission of the virus, we will expect about 69,000 adult and 39,000 pediatric AIDS cases between 1991 and 1999. The rate of spread varies from country to country.

AIDS case firstly was reported in 1984 in Nairobi, Kenya. AIDS came from monkeys in Africa. It was a species barrier from animal to humans. This virus has grave on human beings rather than in the money that has it. Medical experts believe that the green monkeys of African passed their centivinis to humans through biting and bestiality. Shocking have committed such acts with animals (Vanlmpe 1987:29).

Next infected men engaged other men in sexual acts, and the virus spread like wide fire and no homosexuals international. Scores of such men even of their homes and filled their wives with the viruses.

Risk: A single exposure is suficial for a person to contract Aids.

Prognosis: Current statistic suggests that if a person becomes HIV positive there is a 60 percent chance of developing AIDS within 7 years.

Distribution: AIDS is a worldwide disease so terrifying and devastating. AIDS is seen equally in both men and women especially the prostitutes and their customers.

The spread is mainly heterosexual profit Njioku Obi (1989) noted Zaire, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi as the African AIDS Belt”. However, Newyork, Los Angels, and San Francisco have been called the AIDS centers of the Western World.

Etiology: AIDS is caused by a retrovirus, Retrovirus like other viruses reproduce only in living cells of a host species.

Mode of Transmission

HIV has been isolated from Blood, Semen, Vaginal secretion, and other body fluid including tears. However, transmission is through a sexual relationship, blood transfusion, and the use of a stinger incubation period.

Incubation Period

It takes on average an interval of 29 months, 12months between exposure to the virus and manifestation of AIDS in adults and children respectively.

Scope of the Disease

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a sexually transmitted year that has spread through the present lack of vaccine for prophylaxis, or drugs for one.

The AIDS virus infects cells in the brain and causes what is known as dementia, or brain disease.

People who have this suffer from impaired short-term memory, mental confusion, personality, they may succumb to paranoia, sometimes psychoses, mutism (they become unable to speak) incontinence they have a loss of muscular contra and finally coma and death (Van Impe, 1987).

The World health organization (WHO) has taken the bull by the horn. It is in the media worldwide they attempt to control the disease. AIDS which appeared to be a disease affecting mainly the homosexual population has become a scourage affecting people of every race and lifestyle.

Global Situation

International new releases from countries of the world reported that; aids is spreading like wide fire, countries like Australia, America, and Switzerland reports the severity of the disease. Millions die from AIDS. There have been other plagues throughout history millions died because of Spanish influenza, bubonic plague, and yellow fever, smallpox, polio, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. However, a sensible way of stopping the spread of AIDS is through the dissemination of information and deliberate education, combined with personal changing life style, there have been public health measures taken.

The Nigeria situation

Up to the end of 2003, over 20million of Nigeria have proved positive for AIDS. The truth is that the disease is spreading fast. It is worthy to note that with the above figure. That about 150 people get infected per week in Nigeria. More than 15 million or 80percent are female while the remaining 20 percent are male. Besides, 15percent out of the 80percent are female children under the age of ten, while 8 out of the 20percent are male children under the age of ten years also.

Researchers prove that adult infected AIDS victims fall within the age range of 18-45 years which is the prime age of like.

1.2 Statement of the Research Problems

The role of mass media in a society cannot be over-emphasized. It gives beyond the ordinary art and science of new gathering and dissemination to shaping opinions and attitude of people accurate analysis and interpretation of news event through their information education entertaining and socializing function the mass media affect people attitude and behavior (Graham mitten 1983 32). The mass media set agenda for public discussion by chronicling news events within the society. The mass media, no doubt, has changed or altered our culture. New products, advertised to millions via television, magazines, radio, and newspapers, can achieve widespread adoption almost overnight. The rapid spread of other cultural forms, such as speech mannerism, fades, of all kinds, and other innovative preteens, can be triggered by the media.

Different mass media are effective at different points in different ways. The mass mess only crate awareness while the face to face communication brings about change. Both are complementary. But eagle and others observed that when the audience is large, it usually necessary to accept the inefficiencies of mass communication (Eagle, 1970:29).

This implies that the mass has shortcoming which does not produce their effectiveness no matter how minimal at bringing about social change. Lazar’s field and Katz radio, television, and print to opinion leaders and from them to the less active sections of the population, it, therefore, the mass that those who cannot be reached by the three media could benefit from the interpersonal flow of information or the innovation (field and Katz 1955).

Macgurrie (1969), observed that the measured impact of the mass media as regard persuasiveness seems quite slight. A tremendous among of applied research has been carried out to test the effectiveness of the news media messages. The outcome which he said has been guiding embarrassing for, proponents of mass media.

Given this perceived shortcoming, it, therefore, becomes very necessary to take a hoard work at the role of the mass media campaign against AIDS vis – a Vis their impact among the teenagers in Enugu state. However, research is a systematic search of knowledge the media of which a primary to find a solution to existing problem determines the direction of the study. Therefore the problem this work aims at solving is

a. To determine the major sources of information regarding AIDS.

b. To impact exposure to the HIV/AIDS campaign on the sexual behavior of the people in the Enugu metropolis.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The primary aim of this study is to examine the extent to which mass media campaign against AIDS has affected and influenced attitude and behavioral change towards sex. The influence here, will, therefore, be regarded as the ability of the campaign against Aids message carried by the mass media to induce the teenagers to change their behaviors to sexual to promiscuity and help them also know more about AIDS and suggested preventive measures.

The study is interested in the audience the teenager. Do their sex and age affect the way they perceived the message? Are they getting the information (Exposure) has their level of education got something to do with their behavior and attitudes to sexual matters?

1.4 The Significance of the Study

It is envisaged that the outcome of the study will help to alert the teenage population on the dangers inherent in AIDS and equally contribute to the existing literature in the area of mass media impact.

Also, the study will help the health ministry to determine which of the mass media to employ in disseminating AIDS information.

Above all, it is hoped that the study will further equip mass media practitioners, communication n experts, and researchers to come up with a concrete and more futuristic approach to covering all manner of campaigns without much to in Nigeria.

1.5 Research Questions

1. Do people get the most information about AIDS through the mass media?
2. Does the campaign against AIDS relate to the use of condoms during social intercourse amongst teenagers?
3. Does exposure to an AIDS campaign discourage teenagers from sexual promiscuity?
4. Do teenagers who are single expose themselves?

1.6 Assumption

An assumption is a phenomenon or event that can be measured or manipulated and is used in the development of constructs. They are concepts that have been assigned values.

Two sets of assumptions are identified in this research topic (a) Media impact as an independent assumption (b) Sex as the dependent variable.

1.7 Definition of Terms

The conceptual and operational definition of terms in the study

Perception:

This refers to audience members’ opinion of the “About HIV/AIDS” Radio program as a result of exposure to the program. The perception measured here includes audience perception of the utility of the “About AIDS” program.

Radio Programme:

This denotes a show or performance on radio especially one that is played regularly. It signifies various shows and performances on the radio which are aired at regular time intervals.

Program:

This is media content that is regularly scheduled and aired at specific regular times. It means all radio Nigerian programs that people listen to.

In this case, “About HIV/AIDS”.

About HIV/AIDS:

This is a health campaign and public awareness program on radio Nigeria Enugu on HIV/AIDS. As a result of the scourge of HIV/AIDS, the program was introduced on-air to create awareness on the dangers of casual sex, immorality which contribute to the contact of the virus. The program also highlighted the causes, treatment, prevention, and management of HIV/AIDS. The program “About HIV/AIDS”, provides information on the recent discoveries in the medical field relating to the treatment, management of HIV/AIDS and educates the public to avoid discrimination and stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS.

References

Akpan, I; Obukoadata, O. and Rishante, J. (2013). Audience perception of multi-media approaches towards HIV/AIDS campaign in South-South Nigeria. International Journal of Asian Social Sciences, 3(3): PP.67-84.

Bakić-Mirić, N.; Gogić, A. &Bakić, N. (2012). A conceptual framework for communicating health and illness across Cultures Vojnosanit Pregl 2012; 69(3): 260–264.

Bertrand, J; Oreilly, K; Denison, J; Anhang, R. and Sweat, M. (2006). A systematic review of the effectiveness of mass communication programs to change HIV/AIDS-related behaviors in developing countries. Health Education. Resources.(2006) 21 (4): 567-597.

Fakolade, R., Adebayo, B.; Anyanti,J. and Ankomah, A. (2010). The impact of exposure to mass media campaigns and social support on levels and trends of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in Nigeria: tools for enhancing effective HIV prevention programs. Journal of Biosocial Science, volume 42: Issue 03 /May 2010, pp 395-407.



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