Location and media dynamics in information sharing in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

This paper focuses on information needs and sharing among Ibadan residents, taking into cognizance the people’s social environment and media accessibility. Five hundred copies of a questionnaire were administered among household heads and 12 key informant interviews were conducted in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria. Most respondents in the rural (57%) and urban (93%) areas possessed radio which was mainly used for information sharing and entertainment purposes. Mobile phones (93%) and television sets (76%) were possessed by urban dwellers more than their rural counterparts, whereas Internet facilities were more accessed (42%) than possessed (36%) by urban dwellers. Both rural and urban dwellers attributed inability to fully utilize the media to factors such as poor electricity supply, network uncertainties, promotion of immorality and frequent bad news projected by radio and television. Findings in this study emphasised the social and environmental differences in the adoption of the media for information sharing among rural and urban dwellers. Thus, the goal of the media is better achieved when the factors that determine the use of media in different zones are properly examined and messages are designed to fit the nature of particular environments.

Keywords: Information sharing, media sources, multimedia dynamics, mass communication