SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTION

CHAPETR ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION 

1.1        Background of the study

1.2        Statement of problem

1.3        Objective of the study

1.4        Research Hypotheses

1.5        Significance of the study

1.6        Scope and limitation of the study

1.7       Definition of terms

1.8       Organization of the study

CHAPETR TWO

2.0   LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPETR THREE

3.0        Research methodology

3.1    sources of data collection

3.3        Population of the study

3.4        Sampling and sampling distribution

3.5        Validation of research instrument

3.6        Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introductions

4.2 Data analysis

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendation

Appendix

Abstract

This study is on social media and the 2015 election. The total population for the study is 200 staff of INEC in Uyo of Akwa Ibom. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made production directors, commissioners, presiding officers and electoral officers were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Political analysts, researchers and communication experts have established that, for the first time in the history of politics in Nigeria; media were used to the fullest especially with proliferation and growth of new media otherwise known as social media. Social media was a major platform for political mobilization, education, debate and opinions generation on political matter which gave Nigerian home and Diaspora an opportunity to play their part and share their views on different issues especially as it occurs to them rather than objectively. The tone, theme, and language used on citizen media reflected biases, hate statement, regionalism, tribalism, ethnicity, zonal, religion difference, political difference and others. According to Greg, S. (2007:1) writes that, the art of politicking has always relied upon the promotion of one candidate or point of view over another. The only thing that has changed is the method and techniques made available to political communicators. In the early days of political communication and advertising; politicians, supporters, political parties, INEC, civil social society and other stakeholders relied upon the use of handbills, word of mouth, billboard, newspaper and later to radio, television. Also, as technology evolved the channels available to political stakeholder expanded and interactive in nature with the proliferation of new media (social media/blogs). The twentieth century marked the first time in political communication history in Nigeria that political communicators had the means to reach audiences on a mass scale. Politics was no longer local at least in its reach and ability to communicate with the electorates while electorate also contributes, to political debates, comments etc meaning that electorates were not a passive member of political debate, mobilization like they used to be before, but rather they were active member at that time. In the just concluded 2015 general election, lots of media were used at that time, both the traditional mass media represented by the radio, television, newspaper, magazine, etc and new media represented by the facebook, twitter, youtube, instagram and other forum/blog/websites such as naij, linda ikeji blog, afriwatch, eyenigeria, nairaland, naijamouthed among others. Olayinka, (2015). But the most visible competition lies in the two major political parties i.e PDP and APC and all media houses, social media platform were consciously and unconsciously divided into two in mobilizing citizen for political participation. Political participation means the involvement of the citizenry in the process of governing their state affairs. In other words, political participation means the proposed or conscious act of involvement of the citizens to influence the pattern, structure and composition of the government of the state. It also involves the citizenry participation in the formulation and execution of laws, policies and regulations for their governance, and their choice making for decision-making representative or leader in their society. Political participation involves all the political activities of citizens, either as individual or groups geared towards or designed to influence the political process. It is the citizen’s involvement, actually to influence directly or indirectly the ways, directions and methods of governance or more specifically, the output or outcome (results) of political process. It is a political activity which is directed at selecting rulers in influencing the decision of government and the way government governs. Chudi-Oji C. (2013) Facebook.com which started as a local social network made for the students of Harvard. It was developed by a sophomore, Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook was actually made by making Harvard’s data base containing identification images of students. The initial idea was actually to compare the faces of students with images of animals, for entertainment purposes. However, due to the potentially damaging contents of the site, the creators decided to put it down before it caught the attention of school authorities but today it is a tool and platform for political debate, mobilization and education that was extensively used during the 2015 general election in Nigeria.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Social media is a major platform for political mobilization, education, debate and opinions generation on political matter which gave Nigerian home and Diaspora an opportunity to play their part and share their views on different issues especially as it occurs to them rather than objectively. On this background the researcher wants to investigate social media and the 2015 general election.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are;

1. To ascertain the relationship between social media and 2015 general election
2. To ascertain the role plays by media in 2015 general election
3. To ascertain the impact of social media on election

• RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀:   there is no relationship between social media and 2015 general election

H₁: there is a relationship between social media and 2015 general election

H₀₂: there are no role plays by media in 2015 general election

H₂: there are role plays by media in 2015 general election

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will give a clear insight on social media and the 2015 general election. It will be beneficial to students, INEC and the general public. It will also serve as a reference to other researchers that will embark on this topic

• SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers social media and the 2015 general election. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities

• DEFINITION OF TERMS

SOCIAL MEDIA: Social media are computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks

GENERAL ELECTION: A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation’s primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

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