Stop the Dehumanisation: A Perceptual Study of Ozisa FM Akuko Siri Programme on the Fight against Police Brutality

Abstract

In our contemporary society, the issue of police brutality has become a major source of concern. To this end, this study examined the public perception of the Ozisa FM Akuko Siri programme on the fight against police brutality in Owerri. The agenda-setting theory was adopted in this study. The survey research design was used in the study with a population of 983,352 Owerri residents. The Wimmer and Dominick online sample size calculator was used to derive a sample size of 384. Multistage sampling was used. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection, and descriptive statistics were employed in analysing the data. Results revealed that an average of 81.8% of respondents are moderately exposed to the Akuko Siri programme on Ozisa FM radio regarding police brutality issues. Further findings showed that, at a grand mean of 3.0 (N = 380), respondents have a positive perception of the Akuko Siri programme on Ozisa FM radio towards police brutality issues. It was recommended that Ozisa FM sustain their effort in projecting the popularity of the Akuko Siri programme to enhance listenership. The programme should be more persuasive, informative, and objective to maintain the positive perception of respondents towards it with the aim of ending police brutality.