IMPACT OF URHOBO VOICE NEWSPAPER ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

IMPACT OF URHOBO VOICE NEWSPAPER ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The title of this project is “Impact of Urhobo Voice Newspaper on Development of Ovwain Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State”. To achieve this objective, the study made use of the survey method which involved personal interview and administration of questionnaires on respondents in Ovwain Community and the aim of this exercise was to obtain the data needed for the successful execution of the study. The study made use of table to analyse the data collected from a random sampling of respondents. It also used the simple percentage to analyse the data. The study reveals that Community Newspaper (Urhobo Voice) have impact on Development. It has been able to establish that the Urhobo Voice as a community Newspaper has helped in improving the standard living of the Ovwain people in their community. The study urges both government and private individual to emulate the publisher of the Urhobo Voice by establishing more community newspaper in the rural areas to enable development take place. Finally, the study recommends the granting of soft loans by the government to interested individual to establish newspapers in the rural areas. This with a view to encourage private ownership of the mass media.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

A community newspaper is that paper established in the rural area with the basic aim of bringing development closer to the grassroots. A community newspaper should b e community in outlook reporting the activities of the community to the outside world. It is also a veritable medium through which the people are informed about government policies and programmes. To this end, it could be rightly said that a community newspaper has significant impact on national development since effective development of any nation commences from the grassroots.

Igwe (1991) agrees with the above postulation when he declares that “a rural or community newspaper serves the information need of a particular locality. Such papers should not be mistaken for provincial papers such as the Calabar-based pioneer. These have a wider coverage and circulation range beyond state boundaries.