Abstract

Media imperialism has become a major issue in Cameroon and the world at large. The western media is slowly but surely taking over local media, as many drift away from local Television channels. The study sought to find out the level at which foreign media is dominating local media with the various programs they offer. The results of this study showed that the consumption of foreign media programs is directly related to the kind of programs they offer and the news they give.

Also, more people tend to reject the dominance of foreign channels and assert the local channels. Moreso, from the interview with the local channels, it was seen that local channels dominate foreign channels in Cameroon.  It was also noted their choices of Television channels, are influenced by the credibility and reliability of the Television channel.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Communication is a potent weapon, which puts society on a firm information ground. Whatever is the societal nature, be it local or international, it depends largely on communication for its survival.

A renowned poet, John Donne (1572 -1631) opines that “no man is an island”, as everyone in a society has a significant need for communication. It also serves as an instrument of social interaction and it helps us to understand ourselves. It also helps us keep in touch with other people, and to understand situations. It is a means by which power is acquired, exercised and sustained, and the medium through which relationships are established, extended and maintained” Without communication, man cannot have knowledge.

Communication which is the process of transferring thoughts, ideas, facts, and feelings from one person to another is very important in human existence, while, without it, life will be meaningless and human interaction would be impossible (Anatsui and Tina, 2014).

Globalization has a significant role to play in how foreign media dominates the local media positively and negatively in the sense that it shrinks the concepts of the distance between existing cultures by dramatically reducing the time taken to cross distances that physically separate them. Therefore, the world seems smaller, and in a certain sense brings human beings in closer contact with each other.

On the other hand, it can also stretch social relations, “removing the relations which govern our everyday lives from local contexts to global ones”. It has been argued that the globalization of media will result in the decentralization of power and permit more bottom-up control. Thus, the production of knowledge is decentralized and democratized. Through such decentralization, technologies prevent dominant authorities from managing the flow of information.

In turn, the new technologies allow for the globalization of the media economy, compress time, make spatial relations horizontal, relocate information, and undermine the role of nation-states…The globe’s citizens may engage in a shared culture, a global village, which undermines the previously hierarchical, uniform, or individualizing methods of ideological control (Wang 2008).

News agencies are organizations that deal in the collection, transmission, and distribution of news to newspapers, periodicals, television stations, radio, and other forms of mass media. Present-day news agencies and associations vary in form and content. For instance, the international news agencies operate as worldwide news-reporting services, providing general news coverage, while local news agencies provide national and/or regional coverage of routine or special news (Anatsui and Tina, 2014).

Analyzing the reason why foreign media dominates local media, take the case of Foreign and Local Broadcast Media Coverage of Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria manner of coverage, framing and reportage is often a subject of concern to scholars and researchers- providing a veritable ground for investigation.

Consequently, this study embarks on a comparative evaluation and analysis of foreign and local broadcast media coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria (Verlumun 2019). Globally, broadcasting has a responsibility to make society better.

In times of conflict, insurgency, and war, broadcasting owes society a duty to serve its interest regardless of geographical boundary, country, or region. Gever (2014) collaboratively observes that “broadcasting can leverage on its strengths to join in the war against insurgency.” However, the extent to which this can be possible if the international broadcast media is not committed to the task is arguable.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In our Cameroonian news agencies, their news/entertainment is not all that objective, because their programs are usually those that favor the government of the day. They avoid portraying the government in a negative form, it is only the good works that the government is doing that are shown and reported, and as such their news is diluted and sifted.

Local news agencies act as government megaphones, because of that their citizenries prefer to listen to foreign news agencies and other channels.

Media imperialism is a challenge that is thwarting the media today, which is the act of another media dominating another. In this context, the western media has a stronger power over local houses in Cameroon.  This makes the consumption of local programs difficult and discouraging.

Ignorance from the local consumers is a grievous issue; many of them are not aware and do not really take time to search local media programs to actually see the interesting programs that (public and private media houses) they offer.

More so, negligence and lack of innovation of some local media houses to upgrade on their programs has pushed many consumers to go in for foreign programs. Failure to upgrade news and entertainment programs has pushed many o take preference in foreign media than local media.

Change in attitude and behaviors is also another setback that comes as a result of the fact that the western media has changed the mindset of adults and teenagers to cultivate western cultures due to the kind of channels they portray.

Brainwash is another impediment in a way that any information that comes from the western media is considered valid and they believe less in their own local media houses.

Furthermore, revenue from local media houses is fast dropping as many of the products are not being consumed by Cameroonians. Many Cameroonians do not consume Cameroonian films, not to talk of news and other entertainment programs.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

The main research question of this study is;

How do the Foreign Media dominate the Local Media?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What is the behavior of teens and adults towards western and local media?
2. Which media do people consume most and why?
3. What are some of the challenges faced by the local media?
4. What are some solutions that can be proposed to promote the consumption of the local media?