Reflection on Some Socio-Economic Factors That Shaping the Evolution of Mass Communication in Nigeria

Abstract

Mass Communication as a field of discipline has undergone several evolutions from one stage to the other in the course of its existence. One reason is because different fields have been incorporated into Mass Communication to make it a coherent field of study. Such fields include mechanics, electronics, mathematics, economics, psychology, sociology, just to mention a few. Whatever evolutions that have transpired in these fields have had great impact on Mass Communication. From the early 1900s, the rise of Mass Communication followed a pattern of industrial revolution following every subsequent revolution in media technology. The media were among the many technologies that shaped the world and were shaped by other as well.. From the oral tradition, the print, the rise of the electronic media and ultimately to the digital-networked communication, Mass Communication has undergone changes from diverse paradigms. The field of Mass Communication is an ever-changing field with notable changes taking place almost on a daily basis. In this paper, we focus on a number of economic factors that shaped, (and still continue to shape) the epochs and annals of Mass Communication in Nigeria. This paper identifies the political climate, advertising, news commercialization, and entertainment as some of the identifiable socio-economic factors.