1-1-2012 Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ict) on News Processing, Reporting and Dissemination on Broadcast stations in Lagos, Nigeria INTRODUCTION Information and Communication Technology is perceived to be a force to be reckoned with in the 21st century because it has caused and continues to cause major changes in the way we live. In the electronic media, ICT has ignited and provoked radical and drastic changes that has affected and revolutionized the broadcast industry, most especially in immediacy and timeliness of news. Information and Communication Technology not only facilitate and enhance the creation, processing, sharing and dissemination of information in the broadcast industry but the immediacy and timeliness of news is of a high priority. Notwithstanding, with ICT, information spread, infinitely becomes faster and cheaper and readily available. Before now, there was a significant time lag separating the point when an event took place, and the time when the news may be publicly made available. But, ICT, has helped bridge the time lag between when an event took place and the time it is made available to the public. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a generic term used to express the convergence of telecommunications, information, broadcasting and communications. According to Rodriguez and Wilson (2000) ICT is seen as a set of activities which facilitate and enhance the processing, transmission and dissemination of information by electronic means. ESCAP (2000) also perceived ICT as techniques people use in order to share, distribute, and gather information for communicating through computers and computer networks. Promoting Information and Communication Technology as an integral part for enhancing timely news delivery in the broadcast industry was articulated by Samadar (1995) he submitted that ICT is a tool for facilitating the creation, storage, management and dissemination of information by electronic means. Meanwhile, Marcelle (2000) did not only see ICT as a complex entity but an application and services used for the production, distribution, processing, transformation of information with the aid of ICT tools. Nevertheless, Ogunsola and Aboyade (2005) are of the opinion that ICT came into being as a result of related technologies clearly stated by their functional usage in information access and communication is centralized through the Internet. As far as the digital age is concerned, the benefits accrue from ICT is enormous. One of the sectors that has benefited immensely from the use of ICT is the broadcast industry. With the use of ICT, news processing and news reporting is immediate, timely, and helps reduce the space constraints ‘the death of distance’. The use of ICT has revolutionized news processing, news packaging, and news reporting through the use of ICTs. There is no doubt that the employment of ICT in the broadcast industry is to enhance and improve news delivery as timely as possible. To buttress this, Adigwe (2010) cited Soforowa (2009) when he noted that ICT is seen as the integration and utilization of computer technologies for the purpose of disseminating information to a target destination or consumer without the constraint of time and space. Information and Communication Technology in broadcast news gathering is on the increase by reporters and editors because of its benefits being recognized at every point of the entire supply chain of news. Technology development and the use of ICTs in broadcast industry have improved news reportage. According to Wikipedia encyclopedia “Information technology (IT) or Information and communication(s) technology (ICT) is a broad subject concerned with technology and other aspects of managing and processing information, especially in large or enterprise organizations.” This gave rise to the fact that ICT can be used not only to communicate but also to convey messages. To this end, ICT refers to as mechanisms or tools that are used to convey, distribute and manipulate information in order to improve it value. According to Geetika et al (2008) Information is perceived to be the primary input as well as the final output of a broadcast industry, because it converts raw information into categorized, defined and useful pieces of information. Similarly, for timely dissemination and easy access to information, Samah et al (2009) cited Noor (2006) that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is that components that aid the accessing, recording, arranging, manipulating and presenting data or information using tools and software. More importantly, in terms of cost of production Adigwe (2010) pointed that ICT facilitates news processing and reporting thereby ensuring immediacy and timeliness of news content to its audience. The term Information and Communication Technology (ICT) refers to forms of technology that are used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information. This broad definition of ICT includes such technologies as: radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer and network hardware and software; as well as the equipment and services associated with these technologies, such as videoconferencing and electronic mail.(Wikepedia,2009). In the same way, high technology approaches to news processing have set in motion an evolution in strategies of news gathering in the first half of this decade. Central to these new approaches is the use of Computer, Williams and Sawyer (2003:3) pointed out that a computer is “ a programmable, multiuse machine that accept data –raw fact and figures, manipulate and process it into information that we can use, such as summaries, totals or reports” its purpose is to speed up problem solving and increase productivity. Laurantine (2011) cited Bermiger (2005:4) viewed Information and Communication Technologies as the nervous system of contemporary society, transmitting and distributing seasons and control information and interconnectivity, a myriad of independent units”. Operationally, Laurantine (2011) sees ICTs comprise digital devices either notifies of the hardware or software for transferring information. Indeed, the emergence of ICT as mechanisms of control for industrial revolution is pivotal in almost every sphere of the production, distribution and dissemination of manufacture and finished product. (Laurantine cited Berniger 2005:4) In the past few decades Information and Communication Technology has transformed the world in all spheres of life. It’s potential for reducing manual operations and fostering growth in the media has increased rapidly. To strengthened this assertion, Adigwe (2010) cited Okoye (2000) noted that computer technology has enhanced news processing and news reporting. With the Internet, journalist can now click on relevant sites to source for foreign or even local news for subsequent broadcast news. Indeed, the importance of information and communication technology as a tool for news processing cannot be overemphasized. The use of ICTs in broadcast industry has revolutionized and enhanced news processing. Access to information is fundamental to empowerment, recognizing the impact of increasing digital convergence on media has created an enabling environment to ensuring people’s access to information through the adoption of this technology.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 22:07:14 +0000
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