Abstract

Mass media plays a vital role in disseminating health information and increasing awareness about health education.  The media does not only spread awareness, but also informs and educate people over a period of time. This ultimately helps in changing attitude & behaviour of audiences for achieving better health. In other words, media is instrumental in bringing behavioural changes in knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about health and healthy behaviours.

Radio as a broadcasting tool is a central and established form of mass communication in every society. The radio serves as a low-cost, passive form of communication that holds the capability to reach listeners in different languages at home, at work, in stores, gyms, or in personal vehicles. The majority of radio listening occurs away from homes (Arbitron, 2008) thus making radio a portable and accessible media source in a variety of locations. According to Arbitron (2008), radio listening is high across all age groups and ‘listeners tune into one or more radio stations more than 2.6 hours per day–18.5 hours per week’.

Mass media, in the form of the radio, is an effective way to persuade target audiences to adopt new behaviour and to remind them of critical information. Besides informing the public about new diseases and where to seek help, radio can also keep the public updated.  Health is wealth, a popular axiom, seems to be an unavoidable cliché as the general well-being of a human dictates almost all the end result of the activities; either good or bad and at a point or the other would require a revisiting as humans are dynamic.

The demands and needs for accurate, relevant, rapid and impartial public health information by people are increasing daily, which brings about a growing dependence on mass media as the main source of information. It is well known that the mass media are significant social institution in any contemporary society.

Owning to these facts, the study  focuses on ‘’ the role of radio as a mass media tool in educating the public on health issues’’  where in the  respondents saw radio  as a less effective media  tool in disseminating  health issues  as compared to other media tools like  online and TV  respectively. Statistics of this study equally portrayed the radio not being the most effective   media tool in disseminating current health issues (21%). Also, this research pinpoints cholera as the most prominent health issue (66%).

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, we shall look at the following areas; background to the  study,  statement of  the problem, research questions, research objective, hypothesis,  significance of study, scope of study  and definition of concepts.  The research seeks to examine   the role of mass   media in educating the public on health issues.

1.1 Background to the study      

The Mass media   have a great role   in educating the public   on health issues. Although there is little information and accessible primary research, the mass media have a lot of positive impact on health issues   as compared to the negative impact.

Health issue    is an important study in every   country. Mortality   rates   are declining   day-by-day   due to the   improvement in health   education.  Hence, in every   economy, there should   be a platform which promotes a decrease in health issues, and the Mass media like radio, television, newspapers should   be a perfect platform   in disseminating health issues.

Mass media is seen as a platform which changes peoples   negative behaviour into positive behavior with regards to health issues.  This means the media is recognized for changing   negative thoughts on health issues   and creating awareness and solutions.

In a survey   by Grilli (2002) et Al, it is revealed    that 70% of  people’s behavior  on health issues  are positively  affected by mass media. Thus, advancement on health issues can be disseminated through the   media, making it, easier to reach the public

Psychological studies in the past prove that, advertising health issues   like consuming alcohol, smoking, which is targeted in a better way, depicts negative behavior    making them to be addicted to such harmful   substances, since they are inclined to negative advertisement.

Furthermore, teenagers are said to be  the biggest  victim of such  negative  behavior  due to the mass media;  examples  of this negative health effects  include  obesity,   junk food consumption  which can lead to health issues like  high blood pressure, diabetes, depression.

To conclude, people interpret messages wrongly in the media which affects their health.

1.2 Statement of the Problem   

The mass media is often referred to as the   fourth   branch of government. It plays important role in dissemination of information especially on health issues. The media’s role is to create awareness to the   public with news that contain health education there by creating health issues or disease awareness to the public. The media works hand- in-hand, so as to keep the public informed on health issues, possible solutions and how the public reacts to very disseminated health issues. Thus, this study wants to clarify the role of a particular mass media tool in educating the public on health issues.

1.3 Research Objective

1.3.1 General Objective

The general objective of this study was to   highlight the role of the mass media in educating the public on health   issues.

1.3.2 Specific objective

1. To identify which mass media tool is effective in creating awareness of the cholera disease which is a health issue.
2. To highlight radio as an important tool in health education;
3. To identify how the audience gains awareness of arising health

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