The New Broadcasting Ethos and Motivations for Interactive Technology Use in a Nigerian Radio Station

Abstract

I examine in this study what constitute the motivations/gratifications for the pervasiveness of interactive technology (mobile phone and Internet) use for participatory programming among broadcast journalists. A survey was modelled after similar studies on motivations for citizen journalism (Jack, 2009), against extant theoretical frameworks of technology adoption, including adaptive structuration and uses and gratification theories. A matrix was also constructed to pre-test what constitute the motivations/gratifications for the use of interactive technology in the production of dissemination of participatory programming. Hence, broadcast journalists in a purposively selected FM radio station in southwest Nigeria were sampled. Findings showed that broadcast journalists’ motivation to use interactive technology for participatory programming is geared toward information dissemination. In achieving this, broadcast journalists rely more on text-based (quasi-synchronous) new media platforms rather than a more convenient but costlier voice call channel to act the social responsibility (information dissemination and mobilization) roles. Poor telecom connectivity is a significant threat. The study, while contributing to the current discourse on the convergence of radio, also practically advances the concept of participatory communication and newsroom technology adoption beyond the theoretical and speculative dimensions.