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Abstract

Usually considered as less-privileged in the society, abandoned, rejected and dejected, the physically challenged, orphans, and street psychopaths are looked down upon, deprived of basic rights and, often without means to attain the ladder of accomplishments seemingly available to the average persons in the society. Cultural inhibitions, absence of technological aids and facilities (ramps), non-existence of special care funds/policies, non-availability of healthcare facilities and welfare as well as religion and intolerance are just some of the societal inhibitions denying these categories of individuals referred to as the minority groups (including albinos, the helpless sick, all beggars and widows amongst others) access to basic things of life such as food, clothing and shelter and, forcing them to the streets as urchins, beggars, hangs-on, dependants looked down upon as never-do-wells, threats to life, security risk and dregs of the society. These minority groups are individuals in society but socially speaking, their humanity has been denigrated or reduced to second-class citizenry; their basic human rights denied without redress while the truths about them have been largely swept under the carpet with large majority in the society looking in the other direction. This study using the gospel video film platform, examines the reflections of these categories of individuals in Nollywood, the celebrated Nigerian cultural art and successful film industry with a view to ascertain their placement or displacement in the religious offering of popular cultural entertainment. Content analysis of 30 gospel video films from Mount Zion Films Productions (2010 - 2018) is used for the study while availability sampling is adopted to select the tapes because of their short life span. Date of film, duration, context, location, appearance, family relationships, language, work, issue at stake, home, marriage, dressing, lives (normal or abnormal), situation, violence, resolution, among others, constitute the content categories of the study while appearance of any of the three groups constitutes the unit of analysis. Results indicate that majority of the minority groups in the movies were portrayed in less dignified manners, pity and inadequate care. The portrayal of the minority groups in the gospel movies is a reflection of the true situation in Nigeria and most underdeveloped nations with little or no social welfare for the sick, orphans and street psychopaths. The results of this study have promise for both policy and social action in all societies of the world concerning dealings and focus on the minority groups highlighted in the study, with critical implications for marital and socioeconomic conditions of families.

Open Access | Communications > Media and Communication Review | Vol: 6 , No: 1

Published online:
Nov 16, 2023 First published (print):
March 2021

Between Populism and Sustainable Environmental Communication in Lagos State of Nigeria

Tunde Akanni

Corresponding Author: Data unavailable.

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Abstract

Perhaps more than any other set of variables in the recent time, the factors of climate change and the United Nation Environment Programme Report on Ogoniland of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, following years of oil exploitation, have drawn the attention of both government and non state actors to environmental challenges in Nigeria. The Federal Government of Nigeria made a big show of the commencement of the compliance with the recommendations of UNEP in 2016. Non state actors were also visible mostly during the pre and post COP sessions. Till date, in spite of the obvious capability of both government and relevant non state actors, to use the dynamic and user-friendly digital media, non has deemed it fit to regularize campaigning on environmental issues, even if only in line with the environmental manifestations of different seasons. This study sought to ascertain, in selected national newspapers patronized by the Ministry of Environment of Lagos State, the focus of the environmental campaigns of both the government and non state actors, interrogate their use of social media platforms, as well as their challenges and the future they envision together or separately on their activities. As a descriptive study, the media theories of Uses and Gratifications as well as Framing were adopted to enable a thorough scrutiny of the forms and contents of the communication efforts of the government agencies and the non state actors alike. The research methods were qualitative content analysis and Interview. Content Analysis enabled the researcher to examine the communication contents even as it entailed meticulous interpretation of the same communication contents. Interview method on the other hand helped to complement the derivatives of the Content Analysis from the perspective of the professionals involved in constructing the contents of the communication efforts in question. The study concluded with recommendations to the government on the need to accord more seriousness to environmental communication beyond cosmetic disposition of routine management.