NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS REPORTAGE OF THEATRE PERFORMANCES (2014-2016): PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

ABSTRACT

Notwithstanding that the 21st  century is an information age, dramatic stage performance is not getting all the publicity that would make it more attractive, bring attention to it, make it alluring and reposition theatre arts in the league of major entertainment events in the world. Flipping through the pages of newspapers will prove that stage performances are not receiving the desired attention which should be a thing of worry to theatre practitioners and lovers of stage drama. Ironically, Theatre Arts departments in different Universities in Nigeria have produced enough manpower that represents the art in the media circle. It has therefore become a challenge for Theatre graduates who by design or otherwise are working in the mass media industry to change the tide and reposition their first profession. The lacuna is the need for this research which shall suggest how to remedy the situation, using the experiences of the media and theatre practitioners.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the Study

Theatre attendance in Nigeria’s economic capital, Lagos, is dwindling as

“Nollywood” – the country’s prolific film industry – surges in popularity.

The above assertion captures the state of live theatre performance in contemporary Nigeria. Going by different concerns that have been expressed about professional Theatre practice, it may be inferred that in Nigeria, stage dramatic performances are not flourishing in this century which is dominated by television reality shows, loud music concerts, soap opera and the Nigerian vogue home video. Even the foreign soaps from India, China and the Caribbean have flooded the Nigerian homes, keeping them glued to their   television   sets   while   hardly   or   sparingly   engaging   in   outdoor   dramatic performances.

Professional theatre practice in Nigeria, it has been argued, in some quarters, may be going into extinction.This is unlike what obtained in the ’40s through to the early ’80s when live theatre was vibrant in many parts of the country. As a result, Femi Osofisan while commenting on theatre practice in South West Nigeria in the past stated that:

As everyone knows, this was until quite recently, perhaps the liveliest and most ebullient in terms of theatrical activity in the whole country and was one of the most written about by scholars. On three levels of socio- economic divide that is, among rural peasantry, the suburban proletariat and lower  middle class,  and  the  educated elite,  the  industry of  drama was conspicuously busy and crowded. Village festivals and ritual ceremonies proliferated professional troupes and in particular the Yoruba travelling theatre companies, led by Hubert Ogunde, plied their trade in the urban areas,  sometimes  traversing the  whole  West  African  coasts;  while  the higher institutions bubbled with the activities of the Soyinkas and Sofolas, the Clarks and the Rotimis (xiv).

Today, even in University campuses where live theatre practice is part of school curriculum, the situation has deteriorated to an extent that trained theatre artistes hardly think of making a living from the stage. Femi Osofisan also decries that, “our art from all appearances, is in the throes of extinction” (quoted in Duro Oni and Ahmed Yerima, xiii).

A lot of reasons have been advanced for this unfortunate state of theatre practice in Nigeria. These include, lack of theatre venues, general insecurity, rise of TV entertainment, negative attitude of the public against the profession, non-commitment of trained theatre artistes, and poor funding. The onus then is on trained professionals to rise to the occasion and ameliorate the situation. This is because stage performance is just one medium that can be used by actors amongst a broad range of media requiring different

skills. Others include stage acting, stage musical, live TV acting, recorded TV acting, recorded TV musicals, and film acting. Each medium will become less popular as others become more popular. Truly, this opinion holds, considering the success of other stage performances such as stand-up comedy and musical concerts which are, no doubt, highly patronised even today.

Theatre is not only about the people producing it, it is also about the people attending – the audience. The audience in theatre parlance is so paramount that without it, theatrical performance cannot exist. The indispensability of the audience in theatre can best  be  understood  when  reference  is  made  to  theatre  scholars  who  have  closely examined the concept of theatre such as Oscar G. Brockett and Robert Cohen. According to Cohen,

Theatre  is  performance;  but  what  exactly  does  “performance”  mean? Simply stated, performance is an action or series of actions taken for the ultimate benefit (attention, entertainment, enlightenment, or involvement) of someone else. We call that someone else the audience (22).

Thus, if theatre must be performed for someone and the “someone” is not present then there can be no theatre. The bone of contention today is therefore not that there are no performers and performances of theatre but that there is lack of the audience for whom theatre is and/or should be performed thereby leading to the gradual extinction of theatre. This development is naturally a source of worry to all conscientious practitioners of

theatre. This explains why, in his Keynote Address on the topic, Theatrical Life after the Generals: or Nigerian Theatre in Search of a Lifeline, at the 2008 conference of the Society Of Nigeria Theatre Artistes (SONTA) held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Osofisan opined that, “It seems to me that if this conference is to have any significance, it must first and foremost address itself to this very threat to our existence and continuing relevance” (xiv). Osofisan is just one among many theatre artistes who are worried about the unfortunate state of theatre practice in Nigeria today.

Efforts are being made in order to revitalise live theatre practice in Nigeria which often culminate in the organisation of conferences as well as individual scholarly efforts. However, little achievement seems to have been recorded. This may be that the efforts are not enough or that some necessary course of action is overlooked. Seriously speaking, revitalising live theatre performances in Nigeria demands that a multifarious approach must be adopted. One of such approaches must be directed at ensuring increased and sustained media reportage of live theatre performances both at the preproduction and post production stages. This is in view of the fact that, the efficacy of the media in promotion is not in doubt. It is through media reportage that the fledgling theatre practice of Hubert Ogunde and his contemporaries took roots and grew. The news of the productions used to be so captivating, it is believed, that the general public usually anticipated next productions and strove hard to attend them. This is also one of the reasons why the Yoruba travelling theatre companies, led by Ogunde, plied their trade in the urban areas, sometimes traversing the whole of West African coasts.

It  is  however,  regrettable that  today,  there  is  overwhelming dearth  of  media coverage of live theatre performances in Nigeria. In the mist of several arts reports in newspapers in twenty-two (22) editions of   eight different Nigerian Newspapers titles: The Sun, National Mirror, This Day, The Nation, New Telegraph, Vanguard, Guardian, and Daily Times, that were randomly selected for a pre-trial study, only very few stories on stage drama performances were reported. The Newspapers gave coverage to the categories of Art Reviews as follows:

Table Indicating Twenty-Two (22) Editions of Eight (8) Newspaper Media used for Pre- trial of Reportage of Stage Drama Performances in comparison to other Art genres.

FESTIVALS

Date	The	National	This	The	New	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily
	Sun	Mirror	Day	Nation	Telegraph			Times
Fri Sept.
25, 2015.
P. 17, 18.					2 pages of
					Festival
					stories
Wed.					1 page story
June 24,
2015. P.
26

MOVIE (Film/Tv)

Date	The Sun	National	This	The	New	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily
		Mirror	Day	Nation	Telegraph			Times
Wed. Oct.							3 Movie
7 2015.							stories on
P.44							one page
Sun June							2 stories
21 2015 p.
28, 36

Sun. June 7 2015. P. 40, 65, 66			3 stories
Fri Sept 25, 2015. P. 22					1 story
Wed. June 17, 2015. P. 24, 26		2 stories
Wed. June 24, 2015. P.23-26		4 stories
July 15, 2015. P 24		1 story
July 24 2015. P. 19, 21, 22		3 stories in 3 pages
Fri June 19 2015. P. 19, 23		2 stories
Sat. Aug 15 2015. P. 29-31	3 stories
Sat. Aug 21 2015. P. 21-24, 33	4 stories
Sat. Aug 22 2015. P. 23, 28- 31						5 stories
Sun. Aug 30 2015. P. 17, 20						2 stories

DANCE

Date	The	Nationa	This	The	New	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily
	Sun	l Mirror	Day	Nation	Telegraph			Times
Mon.								1 story
Dec
29

6

2014.
P. 32
Wed.		1 story
June
17
2015.
P. 23
Sun.
Aug
21	1
2015.	stor
P. 36	y

BOOK REVIEW

Date	The Sun	National Mirror	This Day	The Nation	New Telegraph	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily Times
Wed. Oct. 7 2015. P.45							1 story
Sun. June 21 2015. P. 36							1 story
Wed. June 17 2015. P. 25		1 story
Fri. June 19 2015. P. 22		1 story
Fri. July 24 2015. P. 23		1 story
Sat.

7

Aug	1story
15
2015.
P. 27
Wed.					2 stories
Oct. 7
2015.
P. 16

CULTURE/REVUE

Date	The	Nationa	This	The	New	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily
	Sun	l Mirror	Day	Nation	Telegraph			Times
Fri.					1 story
Sept.
4
2015.
P. 17
Sun.
June							1 story in
21							2 pages
2015.
P. 29,
30

MEDIA

Date	The Sun	Nationa l Mirror	This Day	The Nation	New Telegraph	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily Times
Wed. Oct. 7 2015. P.45							1 story
Fri. Sept. 18 2015. P. 21					1 story
Fri. Sept. 25					3 stories

8

2015. P. 18, 19, 21

MUSIC

Date	The	National	This	The	New	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily
	Sun	Mirror	Day	Nation	Telegraph			Times
Fri.
Sept 4						multiple
2015.						story
P. 19,
22-24
Mon.
July	Front
13	page
2015.	concert
P.1	picture
Sun.							2 stories
June
21
2015.
P. 32,
36
Fri.					4 stories
June
12
2015.
P. 25-
28
Fri.
Sept.
18					Multiple
2015.					stories
P.18,
22-24
Sun.
June 7
2015.			3
P. 89-			stories
91
Fri.

9

Sept.					5 stories
25
2015.
P. 18,
19,
23, 24
Sat.					4 stories
June
20
2015.
P. 18-
22
Thur.				1 story
July
23
2015.
p
Fri.		2 stories
July
24
2015.
P. 20,
22
Fri.		2 stories
June
19
2015.
P. 19,
22
Sat.
Aug.
15	2
2015.	stories
P. 30
32
Mon.
Aug.
24	2
2015.	stories
P. 24,
33
Sat.
Aug.

10

22						3 stories
2015
p. 25,
26, 27
Sun.						2 stories
Aug.
30
2015.
P. 18,
19

DRAMA

Date	The Sun	National Mirror	This Day	The Nation	New Telegraph	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily Times
Mon. Dec. 29 2014. P. 32, 33								1 story
Sun. June 21, 2015. P. 31, 32							2 stories
Wed. June 24 2015. P. 25		1 story
Fri. July 24 2015. P. 19		1 story
Wed. July 15 2015. P. 25		1 story
Sat. Aug.	1 story

11

15 2015. P. 25, 26
Fri. Aug. 21 2015. P. 22	1 story

VISUAL ARTS

Date	The Sun	National Mirror	This Day	The Nation	New Telegraph	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily Times
Sun. June 21 2015. P. 33, 34							1 story
Mon. Dec. 29 2014. P.33								1 story
Wed. June 17 2015. P. 25		1 story
Fri. July 24 2015. P. 19		1 story
Fri. June 19 2015. P. 20, 21		1 story
Sat. Aug.	1 story

12

15 2015. P. 26
Fri. Aug. 21 2015. P. 35, 36	1 story
Wed. July 22 2015. P. 20					1 story

STAND-UP COMEDY

Date	The Sun	National Mirror	This Day	The Nation	New Telegraph	Vanguard	Guardian	Daily Times
Fri. June 17 2015. P. 26					1 story
Fri. July 24 2015. P. 19		1 story

Summary Table:

Genres	Number of Stories
Festivals	2
Movies/Film/Tv	34
Dance	3
Book Review	6
Revue	2

Media	5
Music	40
Drama	8
Visual Arts	10
Stand-up Comedy	2

The result here indicates that out of the 10 genres, Drama is on the 4th  position, which I consider not fair enough for an orthodox art genre. There is no doubt that music and the new theatre, which is Nigeria’s Home video, have taken the shine out of orthodox theatre performances on stage. Given the nature of the Nigerian society nowadays that exists in the world of media flourish, the dwindling reportage of stage performances in the news today implies their nonexistence even in the world out there.

It is however, not yet clear why there is this very lack. This research therefore intends to examine the state of media visibility of theatre stage performances by ways of reviews and reportage. Since the mass media are a handy and effective material for propagation or dissemination of information in the society, it is believed that they could equally accelerate the patronage of stage performances in Nigeria.

1.2      Statement of the (Research) Problem

Theatre revolves around a performance taking place in a venue in front of an audience. Hence, the performance venue and the audience are essentials in the art of theatre,  just  as  live  performance  is  an  essential  aspect  of  theatre  practice.  These essentials,  therefore,  reveal  live  performance  as  a  form  of  Eucharistic  Communion

between actors and the audience in a given space, as a prerequisite.   However, in the recent history of theatre practice in Nigeria, this communion is highly threatened by the disunity of this indispensable entity of the audience with that of performers. This has led to the desertion of theatre houses since theatre does not and cannot exist without the audience.

Over the years, efforts have been made to revitalize live theatre practice in Nigeria leading to conferences and scholarly publications. These efforts however, have proved inadequate or ineffectual. A closer observation has shown that, other equally important ways of addressing this problem are neglected. One of the ways is through sustained media reportage of live theatre performances. In the past, media reportage of live theatre performances immensely played a vital role in the promotion of theatre in Nigeria. The case of theatre of Ogunde and his contemporaries is a handy example. However, this very crucial aspect which contributes to  the  live  wire  of  theatre has vanished overnight. Consequently  there   is   dearth   of   reportage  of   live   theatre   performances.  Stage performance no longer spark public interest and discursions on the pages of our national dailies, instead, the spaces have been replaced with sport stories which have no meaning and cannot suggest solutions to the myriad of problems bedeviling our country ranging from politically motivated ones to those of religion which were and still remain the target of theatre and drama performances.

Regrettably, the media reportage of theatre as a panacea to the problem of theatre practice has escaped the attention of theatre activists. Thus little or no attention is paid to

it. The problem of this study, therefore, is the non-recognition of media reportage as a panacea to the problem of the dwindling state of live theatre practice and patronage in Nigeria which the researcher deems to be vital enough to be given special attention.

1.3 Research Questions

This research work seeks to answer the following questions: Does media reportage have any relevance to the development of theatre; Do theatre practitioners recognize media reportage as a  means of solving the  problem of low patronage of theatre in Nigeria; Is media reportage adequately or inadequately applied and directed at theatre performances in Nigeria?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objective of this study is to suggest a way forward to the resuscitation and revitalization of live theatre practice with the view to encouraging its patronage. The specific objectives include: To introduce media reportage of live theatre performances as a possible means of addressing the problem of live theatre patronage; To examine the frequency of print media coverage of stage performances of dramatic arts and to conscientize and encourage media practitioners, especially those of the print media, to give  maximum attention to the coverage of  stage performances as this will help to improve their own business while assisting in improving the patronage of theatre.

Other objectives of the study include: To raise the consciousness of and encourage leaders to see theatre as a medium that can help them achieve good governance since

stage  performance presents constructive criticism of  government and  to  help  media reportage achieve its maximum objective of disseminating relevant information that can help to remold the society with the view to changing it for the better.

1.5  Significance of the Study

The significance of this study lies in the fact that, it will help professional theatre managers and scholars discover a new strategy in the survival efforts of revamping live theatre practice and patronage in Nigeria. It will also be of use to students and scholars of theatre management as it will serve as a reference material. The study will also sensitize and conscientize trained theatre artistes to see the need of practicing their profession rather than abandoning it for other endeavours as it is most prevalent in the present time.

1.6      Scope of the Study

The concept of mass media is very wide embracing the print, electronic and the internet media. Thus, examining all of this will amount to a scope and volume too large for a study like this. Consequently, this study focuses on the print media, particularly Nigerian Newspapers between, which is  more  accessible, durable and  patronised as reference materials. Even the print media alone comprises of newspapers too numerous to sample all. As such the sample is restricted to the eight (8) national dailies between 2014 and 2016, the stables which are presumably the most patronised in every nook and cranny of the country. The newspapers are: The Sun, National Mirror, This Day, The Nation, New Telegraph, Vanguard, Guardian, and Daily Times. The collections are not followed

chronologically. This is because the concern is only with the relevant information just as the selection of the newspapers depends on their relevance.

1.7      Limitations of the Study

This research could have been more detailed if there were no limitations to it. The limitations experienced by the researcher include lack of adequate finance, reference materials and time. The lack of funds hindered the researcher from procuring some relevant research materials needed for the study.

Following from the above, another limitation was informed by lack of relevant research materials. As earlier stated, media reportage of live theatre performances is an aspect which has escaped scholarly attention thereby leading to the paucity of research materials on it. It could perhaps be attributed to the lackluster attitude of scholars towards the  area  of  study.  However, the  researcher  found this  a  good point to  buttress his argument and surmounted the challenges to produce the work comprehensively.

1.8      Theoretical Framework

Two types of theoretical framework have been adopted for this study. They are: the contingency or situational theory and the Agenda setting Theory. The contingency or situational theory Propounded by Fred Fieldler in 1967 is also referred to as situational management theory which emphasizes that people become leaders not because of their personality attributes but  due  to  the  various situations  that  may  present  themselves between leaders and team members. Again, the theory states that there are no universal

principles of management that can be applied uncritically. Rather, the decision makers are left to analyze the situation in terms of such key variables as technology and external environmental uncertainty and then take a course of action that is appropriate to that particular situation. This theory is considered relevant because the dwindling state of live theatre practice and its patronage is, no doubt, a managerial problem that needs to be addressed through a managerial approach. Thus, if theatre managers are flexible and meticulous in decision making, it will not only enhance their relationship with the staff but also help them cope with other challenges that could befall the business leading to its collapse if hasty decisions are made.

In regards of the above, the contingency or situational theory is relevant to this study in the sense that there have been several efforts made to resuscitate the patronage of live theatre performances in Nigeria, but these efforts are mostly concerned with only the obvious and manifest areas such as welfare of artists and staff, funding, etc. The latent ones are usually neglected. Thus, it is the submission of this study that, since such efforts have failed to yield positive result, attention should be directed at such latent areas as media reportage of live theatre performances, as this may probably yield a positive result leading to the improvement of live theatre practice and patronage in Nigeria.

The Agenda Setting Theory on the other hand refers to the operation of the media which results in prioritization of issues that arise and engage the attention of the society. What this means here is that, the issues focused upon by the media become the issues that the public accepts as important for attention and discussion as captured in the words of D.

McQuail, (87-101). In other words, it is the process whereby the news media lead the public in  assigning relative importance to  various  public  issues.  The  media agenda influences public agenda not by saying this issue is important’ in an overt way but by giving more space and time to that issue and by giving it more prominence. The theory is therefore  adapted  to  stress  that,  if  the  media  give  the  reportage  of  live  theatre performances by allotting more and major space to them, it will now prick the readers who will now understand stage performances as important thereby encouraging their patronage of theatre performances.

M. Cowen and R. Shenton’s (15- 23) study of foreign policy has been a stimulant of the agenda setting research. Cowen notes that the press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about. According to him, the world looks different to different people,  depending  on  the  map  that  is  drawn  for  them  by  the  writers,  editors  and publishers of the papers they read.

M. McCombs and D Shaw’s (176-185) investigation lends great credence to the agenda setting hypothesis. They did a content analysis of newspapers and television coverage of the 1968 American presidential election. The analysis considered the time and space accorded to various issues and served as a representative of media agenda. The main thrust of Agenda Setting theory is that the media may not completely change one’s point of view on a particular issue, but it tends to change his perception to an extent.

Werner Severin and James Tankard define agenda setting as: “A process of media’s capability, through repeated news coverage, of raising the importance of an issue in the public’s mind” (internet source).

That is to say in simple terms, the fact about the inherent influencing power of media, makes it to be seen and applied as important instrument in developmental policies. B. Folarin (12-22), enumerated the elements involved in agenda setting, to include: the quantity or frequency of reporting by the media, prominence given to the reporting, the degree of the conflict generated in the reports and cumulative media-specific effects over time.

A limitation of the Agenda Setting Theory is that media users may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. The people may not be well-informed, deeply engaged on the subject matter. Where the people have already made up their minds, it is only change strategy that would work in that case, but not setting any agenda for them.

It is as a result of this limitation that the theory is combined with the contingency or situational theory.

1.9       Research Methodology

The research generated data from field work and therefore used qualitative analytical approach. Sources of data collection were both primary and secondary in nature. The primary source was derived from library research while the secondary source derived from interviews and observation. The secondary source supplements the primary such as books, journal articles, newspapers, magazine and the internet.

The  technique  of  study  adopted  by  the  study  is  Content  Analysis.  Emeka Nwabueze is of the view that, “Content analysis is an objective way of determining and quantifying the existence of certain themes, concepts, characters, sentences, phrases and words within a text, books essays, newspaper articles and headlines, historical documentations…” (75). The essence of this tool, therefore, is to focus on the actual content and internal features of the media.

1.10   Definition of Key Terms

Even  though  this  is  higher  study,  it  is  important  to  define  the  terms  or terminologies inherent in this study. Such terms as Theatre, Performance, Stage, Media and Reportage will assist in having a clear view of the discussion involved in this study.

Theatre:  The word theatre in itself embodies compound meanings. In the first impression, it could be seen as a building in which dramatic performances take place. Theatre could also involve anything connected with dramatic art, that is, the play itself, the stage with scenery, the lighting, make-up, costume, acting and the cast and crew themselves. Peter Brook defines theatre as an ‘empty space’. Theatre was derived from the Greek word, Theatron, meaning viewing place. Therefore any environment where performance is done for the benefit of an audience is called theatre. It involves stage, auditorium or stadium.

It is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Elements of art and stagecraft are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the experience. The specific place of the performance is also named by the word “theatre” as derived from the Ancient Greek théatron. Modern Western theatre comes, in large measure, from ancient Greek drama, from which it borrows technical terminology, classification into genres, and many of its themes, stock characters, and plot elements. Theatre artiste, Patrice Pavis defines theatricality, theatrical language, stage writing, and the specificity of theatre as synonymous expressions that differentiate theatre from the other performing arts, literature, and the arts in general. Theatre today, broadly defined, includes performances of plays and musicals. There are connections between theatre and the art forms of ballet, opera (which uses staged, costumed performances with singing and orchestral accompaniment) and various other forms.

Performance: A Performance is an act of doing a presentation for an audience who appreciate the action. The word performance is elastic that it includes drama, music, dance or any other kind of show that is interactive or involving the performer and an audience. Anything anybody does before an audience is a performance. The teacher, preacher, politician perform before an audience. Performance is therefore wider than the theatre because it includes different forms or types of public action. Performance environment involves turning a stage into any given situation such as the Dadaist performers that converted unusual pubs into performance arenas. In the performing arts,

generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers present one or more  works  of  art  to  an  audience.  Usually  the  performers participate in  rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience members often applaud. After a performance, performance measurement sometimes occurs. Performance measurement is the process of collecting, analysing and reporting information regarding the performance of an individual, group, organization, system or component.

The means of expressing appreciation can vary by culture. Chinese performers will clap with the audience at the end of a performance; the return applause signals “thank you” to the audience. In Japan, folk performing-arts performances commonly attract individuals who take photographs, sometimes getting up to the stage and within inches of performer’s faces. In Nigeria, the performers receive applaud from the audience at intervals of good speech deliveries or stage movements.

Sometimes the dividing line between performer and the audience may become blurred,  as  in  the  example  of  “participatory  theatre”  where  audience  members  get involved in the production.

Theatrical performances can take place daily or at some other regular interval. Performances can take place at designated performance spaces (such as a theatre or concert hall), or in a non-conventional space, such as a subway station, on the street, or in somebody’s home.

Stage:  The word, stage, has different meanings or interpretations but theatrically, the stage is an area in a theatre where actors, dancers, singers or others perform. There is no doubt that stage is a place of performance. It is a platform upon which performances are done. There are different types of stages in the theatre such as the picture frame stage otherwise called the  proscenium; the  arena  stage  where the  audience surrounds the performers from all sides and the Thrust stage that allows for physical contact between the actors and the audience.  Sometimes referred to as the Deck in stagecraft, Stage is a designated space for the performance of productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point (the screen in cinema theatres) for the members of the audience. As an architectural feature, the stage may consist of a platform (often raised) or series of platforms. In some cases, these may be temporary or adjustable but in theatres and other buildings devoted to such productions, the stage is often a permanent feature.

There are several types of stages that vary as to the usage and the relation of the audience to them. The most common form found in the West is the proscenium stage. In this type, the audience is located on one side of the stage with the remaining sides hidden and used by the performers and technicians. Thrust stages may be similar to proscenium stages but with a platform or performance area that extends into the audience space so that the audience is located on three sides. In theatre in the round, the audience is located on all four sides of the stage. The fourth type of stage incorporates created and found

stages which may be constructed specifically for a performance or may involve a space that is adapted as a stage.

Media:   The  media  is  a  conglomeration of  different  medium,  particularly of channels of expression such as the print or electronic media or the traditional gung whistle  blowers  in  Nigeria  villages.  A  family  meeting  is  a  medium  to  ventilate expressions by  different persons  involved and  they  contain their  expressions in  the minute’s book for further reference probably on the next adjourned date of the meeting. Such a Minute book is not for public consumption but for restricted audience and so it is not a mass medium.

The choice media for discussion here is the mass media that is meant for public consumption. The media according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is “the main ways that large numbers of people receive information and entertainment, which is television, radio and newspapers.” The mass media reach a greater number of people and has the possibility of influencing them. In recent time, the online media has evolved using the power of internet for mass reporting of different events or activities.

Mass media are organs that employ technologies that enable them reach a heterogeneous population within given time frame.

Broadcast  media  transmit  information electronically, via  such  media  as  film,  radio, recorded music, or television. Digital media comprises both Internet and mobile mass communication. Internet  media comprise such  services as  email,  social media sites,

websites, and Internet-based radio and television. Many other mass media outlets have an additional presence on the web, by such means as linking to or running TV ads online, or distributing QR Codes in outdoor or print media to direct mobile users to a website. In this way, they can utilise the easy accessibility and outreach capabilities the Internet affords, as thereby easily broadcast information throughout many different regions of the world simultaneously and cost-efficiently. Outdoor media transmit information via such media as AR advertising; billboards; blimps; flying billboards (signs in tow of airplanes); placards or kiosks placed inside and outside of buses, commercial buildings, shops, sports stadiums, subway cars, or trains; signs; or skywriting.[1]Print media transmit information via physical objects, such as books, comics, magazines, newspapers, or pamphlets. Event organizing and  public  speaking can  also  be  considered  forms  of  mass  media.  The organizations that control these technologies, such as movie studios, publishing companies, and radio and television stations, are also known as the mass media.

Reportage: Reportage is the act or process of reporting news. It is an account of a current or  historical event,  not  appearing in  conventional news  media,  written in  a journalistic style. It is a noun form of Report. Report on itself in mass communication is the art of giving out information. It is to give out information about something the reporter has seen, heard or a thing that was done. It is a news story, presented, written or spoken, giving an account of an event, either in a newspaper, radio, television or in the more recent time through the internet online. Reportage therefore is the art of reporting news or then typically style of presenting news reports in d

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