INFLUENCE OF CARTOON ON NEWS PAPER READERSHIP AMONG STUDENT; A STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA

INFLUENCE OF CARTOON ON NEWS PAPER READERSHIP AMONG STUDENT; A STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, AKOKA

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Background of the study

There is no denying the potency and velocity of the media as a means of communication. In addition to appealing to a large audience, it has a significant influence on other aspects of society, including education, politics, culture, and social cohesiveness. The media performs an important role as active watchdogs by drawing attention to the deficiencies of the political system. It analyzes the system, pinpoints the problem, and makes an effort to fix it by creative writing, drawing, and presenting; one example of creative presentation is the use of cartooning and photography.

According to Ogbo & Nuhu (2016), a cartoon is a drawing and a symbol that communicates a humorous, sarcastic, or witty message. As a result, it is most commonly used by cartoonists to criticize or otherwise abuse individuals, groups, or even institutions. Since the majority of cartoonists depict society by making fun of or criticizing members of that society, Steuter refers to "comic strip characters that portray visible persons in a society" when he talks about cartoon characters (2014). He went on to argue that cartoons are messages that are meant to make people laugh, messages that are humorous by their very nature, and that these messages are conveyed through drawings. Importantly, cartoonists will use analogies, symbols, caricatures, and stereotypes to express the message they want to get through. This is an indication of the publication's attitude and stance, and it is commonly included on the editorial page of newspapers and journals. On the other hand, during election season, political cartoons, which are sometimes referred to as editorial cartoons, are utilized as a means of conveying ideas regarding the current political climate. Editorial cartoons are a sort of artwork that are used to transmit social or political concerns to the audience who is seeing the cartoon. According to Jimoh (2011), an editorial cartoon is a drawing, comic strip, or single panel that has a current political or social message and that depicts a politician, a current event, or a scenario in a hilarious and exaggerated manner. Editorial cartoons can be found in a variety of publications, including newspapers, magazines, and websites. Visual communicators focus on a wide variety of diverse methods in order to get their point through. These methods include photography, digital design, unique drawings, presentations, and even animations; all of these come under the broad umbrella of their extensive training and skill. Visual communicators, on the other hand, have access to additional training, whereas graphic designers do not. Their primary focus is on the conceptualization and production of important visuals for incorporation into digital and print media, websites, mobile applications, and other types of content. Their attention is solely focused on the creation and development of primary visuals for insertion into digital and print media, websites, mobile applications, and other mediums.

 

Having these two types of specialists work together, on the other hand, makes it much simpler to express the primary ideas and marketing efforts of a firm in a manner that is clear, vibrant, and aesthetically appealing, regardless of the form of media that is being utilized (Fahmy, Bock and Wanta, 2014).

 

As they are used to outsource verbal actions and add to the possible social consequences of these pictures being distributed publicly, visual images can provoke intense sensations and different interpretations. This is because visual images can be used to outsource verbal activities. They may also have a projective role, which means that they are able to build connections between a variety of different concerns (Naghy, 2010). Humor is an extremely important quality that is not just present in cartoons but also in everyday life in general. There is a wide range of humor that can be found in cartoons; some cartoons make the audience laugh without actually being humorous, while others are so absurd that they make people smile and laugh out loud.

 

There are no laws about humor, yet there are characteristics that the vast majority of people may agree with (Mwetulundila and Kangira, 2015). The creation of images, whether they be photos or other types of illustrative materials, is central to the practice of all of the visual arts. Illustration is the term used to refer to this type of artwork when it is utilized in the publishing industry to describe the process of using visuals to deliver certain information. When it comes to the effectiveness of a book as a vehicle for communication, illustrations are on par with the text in terms of their significance (Ihebuzor, 2017).

 

The characters in the cartoons intend to communicate with one another. They are a combination of photographs with accompanying descriptions and observations on contemporary society. Voice bubbles and subtitles in editorial cartoons, which are now referred to as utterances, are encoded by cartoonists with text that viewers are required to decipher in order to understand the intended importance of the cartoon. They are composed with the intention of conveying a message to either a specific individual, an authoritative figure, or the whole audience. Some readers are merely interested in having a good time for a short period of time, yet others who howl with laughter but still understand the story's background may be moved to tears by the cartoon's message (Jimoh, 2010).

 

Symbols are used by cartoonists to depict the many elements included inside each panel. These panels represent only a single instant in time. An editorial cartoon, in contrast to a comic strip, contains only a single picture that contains all of the contents, which makes it more difficult to understand at first look due to its complexity. Some editorial cartoons break up the single panel into discrete pieces, such as quarters, and the objects inside the panel are drawn in a way that hints at the progression of motion when each area is examined independently by the reader or viewer. Due to the fact that these cartoons only consist of a single visual frame, they are considered to fall within the editorial cartoon classification. They are not condensed versions of motion films (Kinyua, 2014).

 

The newspaper is a sort of mass media that disseminates up-to-date information by publishing articles at predetermined intervals of time. Newspapers, as a kind of mass media, offer several benefits, including the promotion of education and information as well as enjoyment, leisure, and amusement. Because of this, Ola and Ola (2016) point out that newspapers are essential because they provide readers with information that is up to date and because they keep readers informed of events and activities both within and outside of their own local settings.

 

This viewpoint is supported by Okunna (2019), who argues that the significance of the newspaper lies in the fact that it serves as a conduit for the dissemination of recent information or news. Newspapers, according to Obaid (2019), are the textbooks that provide readers with the most recent information on local, state, national, and global affairs; the most recent analysis and criticism of the executive and legislative decision making; the most recent in music, theater, television, fine arts; and even columns and comics to make readers laugh. According to Babalola (2021), newspapers promote literacy empowerment; reading them unavoidably improves critical thinking, knowledge retention, problem solving, and the questioning of information sources. Additionally, reading the newspaper helps one develop into a person who is civically conscious, tolerant, and connected to the community it serves (Edegoh, Asemah, and Okpanachi, 2020).

 

The statistics from a large body of empirical research seem to suggest that the newspaper of time people spend reading newspapers is on the decline, despite the fact that newspaper readership is extremely important. For instance, Edegoh et al. (2020) found that the number of people reading newspapers has been decreasing over the course of the most recent few years. According to Udie (2019), less than half of Nigerians regularly read newspapers. This newspaper comes from his reading. According to Biagi (2021), the overall quantity of newspapers has decreased due to the fact that less people were reading them throughout the 1970s. Business Essay (2019) has also noticed that over the past few decades, there has been a general trend toward less newspaper reading in nations all around the world, including the United States of America and Europe. According to the findings of a survey that was conducted by Afro barometer in 2003 across 12 African nations, including Nigeria, it was found that only 13% of the population that was tested admits to reading a daily newspaper. This finding is based on the fact that Nigeria was one of the nations that was included in the survey (Afrobarometer, 2017). According to a study that was carried out over the entirety of the country by the Advertisers Association of Nigeria in 2010, the total daily sales number of newspapers in Nigeria amounted to fewer than 300,000 copies combined. This information was gathered (ADVAN). According to this, just one individual out of every 470 residents of Nigeria purchases newspapers on a daily basis (Ezeh, 2015).

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The Nigerian government has a significant challenge in the form of widespread ignorance on important national problems. It promotes the spreading of rumors and hinders the growth of the nation. The ways in which the general public is informed about the operations of their government, such as press briefings and news releases written by officials of that government, seldom expose instances of corruption that have been committed by that administration. People, as a direct consequence of this, continue to languish in ignorance regarding the actions of government, particularly with the question of how governments handle their finances. This scenario is especially concerning in light of the recent passage of the Freedom of Information Act of 2011, which provides for the general public's right to unfettered access to public information, particularly that which pertains to the expenditures of the government.

The cartoons in the newspaper are one of the ways that social concerns are brought to people's attention through the publication. They shed light on societal challenges and offer potential answers to difficulties facing the nation. Regrettably, only a very limited number of attempts have been undertaken to investigate how viewers of newspaper cartoons interpret the depiction of national concerns in such cartoons. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no efforts made to research the opinion-molding role of newspaper cartoons in relation to the readership of newspapers in Nigeria, other than a few content assessments.

 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine the influence of cartoon on news paper readership among student; a study of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State. Other aims of this study are:

1. To determine the extent cartoon influences news paper readership among students of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State.
2. To determine whether newspaper cartoons provide sufficient information about issues to University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State students.
3. To determine whether information provided by newspaper cartoons are capable of moulding audience opinion.
4. To determine whether newspaper cartoons influence opinion formation among students of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

1. To what extent does cartoon influence news paper readership among students of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State?
2. Does newspaper cartoons provide sufficient information about issues to students?
3. Are information provided by newspaper cartoons capable of moulding audience opinion?
4. Can newspaper cartoons influence opinion formation among students of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following null hypotheses will validate this study:

H01: Newspaper cartoons does not provide sufficient information to students.

Ha1: Newspaper cartoons provides sufficient information to students.

H02: Information provided by newspaper cartoons are not capable of moulding students opinion.

Ha2: Information provided by newspaper cartoons are capable of moulding students opinion.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will add more knowledge to the existing literature on cartoons and newspaper readership. It will also serve as a reference for future researchers that may want to undertake a research on a similar study. Social activists will also benefit from the study as it will enable them to deploy genres of editorial cartoons in their awareness campaigns. More so, the result of the study will enable print media cartoonists and communicators to promote the art of cartooning as a tool for socio-political, and communication emancipation. Additionally, the findings of the study will enable Finally, the findings of this study will contribute to the increase in the readership culture in Nigeria.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on the influence of cartoon on news paper readership among student; a study of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State. Specifically, this study focuses on determining the extent cartoon influences news paper readership among students of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State, determining whether newspaper cartoons provide sufficient information about issues to University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State students, determining whether information provided by newspaper cartoons are capable of moulding audience opinion and determining whether newspaper cartoons influence opinion formation among students of University of Lagos Akoka, Lagos State.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Like all human endeavour, this research work was not without some factors that tended to jeopardize the smooth completion of the study. One of the factors is on the fact that the period of time allowed for this work was short that the researcher did not have enough time to do a thorough job.

Also the researcher in the course of data collection, had to put in extra effort to interpreting interviews schedule of the respondents, some who fall within the in comprehensible age limit. Additionally, there were financial and transit constraints.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Cartoons: A cartoon is a type of illustration that is typically drawn, sometimes animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style.

Newspaper: a printed publication  consisting of folded unstapled sheets and containing news, articles, advertisements, and correspondence

Readership : the readers of a newspaper, magazine, or book regarded collectively.

ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDIES

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the  review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study,  sample size determination,  sample size, and selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

 

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