THE USE OF STATE BROADCAST MEDIA AS PROPAGANDA MACHINERY BY STATE GOVERNMENT

In several quarters, there have been allegation making round, that state governments use their state Broadcast media as propaganda machinery. The focus is to investigate such allegation using Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) radio/TV as a case study. The study was based on critical theory by staurt Hall. The theory views the means by which the “haves of society gain the willing support of the “have nots” to maintain the status quo. The study uses empirical method observing the five chapters structural arrangement, with each chapter assigned a specific role to play for the overall success of producing a reliable result. The researcher consulted relevant literature to raise secondary data while survey method was used to generate primary data for analysis. The data generated using questionnaire techniques were tested using chi-share goodness of fit test formular. Data were presented in tables and extensively discussed to enable the researcher draw his conclusion and make some recommendations. The researcher though did not find Enugu state government using it’s broadcast outfits as propaganda machinery, but strongly recommends that the management of the broadcast stations should overhaul it’s programmes in order to drop those perceived by the media audiences as sycophantic, wherein presenters use them to sing praises for the state government unnecessarily.