THE TELEVISION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE SENSITIZATION OF THE PUBLIC ON THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST THE CORONA VIRUS IN NIGERIA

Background of the Study: In the event that a country experiences an outbreak of disease, it is the responsibility of the government, through the Ministry of Health, to rise to the challenges by allocating a significant amount of money and establishing facilities to combat the virus. In addition, it is the responsibility of non-governmental organizations and other national and international health organizations to cooperate with the government in this effort. As a result, the outbreak of Corona virus diseases (COVID-19) required the same procedure of creating awareness, which is why organizations are required to by necessity create awareness through mass media and other communication forms by sensitizing the public on the causes, signs and symptoms of the disease, and preventive and protective measures against the disease (Obot, 2021).

The breakout of the Corona virus COVID-19 has, without a doubt, caught the rest of the globe off guard and caught them unprepared; as a result, the countries that have been affected have had to endure debilitating death crises as well as economic collapse, etc (Obot, 2021). In Nigeria, the presence of the deadly virus known as corona virus, COVID-19, was confirmed officially on the 27th of February 2020 after a virology laboratory was came out at the Lagos university teaching Hospital on the suspected Italian man who arrived in Nigeria from Milan on February 24, 2020 on the Turkish Airline. The man was carrying the virus when he traveled from Milan to Nigeria on the Turkish Airline (Odunlami, & Busayo, 2021).

Any subject can have its own awareness program, and those programs simply consist of providing extensive information on the issue at hand. Television is one of the most important mediums for disseminating information to the general public, and the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) is one of the many channels that is charged with the legal obligation of doing so via television. There are a great number of NTA branches and sub stations located all across the country. Television is an effective medium for communicating information, thoughts, and ideas to audiences of all sizes, from the very broad to the very particular. It is an essential contributor to the overall improvement of public health.

Goals

The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) has, over the course of many years, demonstrated outstanding performance in the areas of information distribution, education of the population, and advocacy roles, particularly in significant moments and events (Osabuohien & Amienyi 2021).. This performance has been particularly noteworthy. It is predicted that all television stations would produce jingles, advertisements, and programming that will educate the general public on how to protect themselves against the Corona virus and how to prevent becoming infected with it (Obot, 2021). 

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.

Heightened knowledge among members of the community on the risk factors for contracting the Corona virus and the preventative steps individuals may take (Odunlami, & Busayo, 2021). As a result, the government, charitable organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other agencies have created a great deal of awareness campaigns on the Corona virus. This awareness includes broadcasting messages and jingles on radio and television stations and placing posters around communities as part of a long-term program to inform the general public and assist in the prevention of further infections. Organizing seminars and workshops on the issue of Corona, as well as going out into the streets and towns to educate the people on how to respond to the outbreak, are some of the other things that may be done (Odunlami, & Busayo, 2021). The research for the various programme awareness campaigns, such as jingles programme and weekly messages on information about Corona virus, which are carried out by the television broadcasting States at the Niger Delta region is required in order to meet the requirements of the necessary awareness on the Corona virus that is carried out by NTA in the Niger Delta region (Osabuohien & Amienyi 2021). 

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The study is set to examine the television and its impact on the sensitization of the public on the preventive measures against the corona virus in Nigeria. Specifically it is geared

1. To examine the different measures to prevent the spread of corona virus
2. To examine how television station educate people on the preventive measures against to spread of corona  virus
3. To examine the level of the involvement of television authorities on educating the masses about  covid-19  preventive measures

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study in it entirety will be beneficial to the body of knowledge. Specifically it will expose government and private owned television station on the need to facilitate regular awareness covid-19 preventive measures. It will enable media presenters come with creative and development  oriented programs to ensure that the spread of of corona virus is reduced to the barest minimum. It will equip the masses with firsthand information on the need to comply with safety measures as advertised on the televisions stations for their personal health benefit as this will curb the spread of corona virus.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. What are  the measures to prevent the spread of corona virus?

2. How does television station educate people on the preventive measures against to spread of corona  virus?

3. What is involvement level of television authorities on educating the masses about  covid-19  preventive measures?

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is set to examine the role of television on Educating the Public on the Preventive measures against the spread of corona virus in Nigeria using Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) as a case study

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.Time factor pose another constraint since having to cope in this research which went simultaneously within the time schedule of other academic work making it impossible to undertake this study in large more representative skill

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS:

COVID-19:Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is defined as illness caused by a novel corona virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2.

Role: A role is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation

Media:The term media, which is the plural of medium, refers to the communication channels through which we disseminate news, music, movies, education, promotional messages and other data. It includes physical and online newspapers and magazines, television, radio, billboards, telephone, the Internet, fax and billboards.

Television: an electronic system of transmitting transient images of fixed or moving objects together with sound over a wire or through space by apparatus that converts light and sound into electrical waves and reconverts them into visible light rays and audible sound.

Preventative Measure: this  includes the measures or steps taken for prevention of disease as opposed to disease treatment. Preventive Health Measures encompass a variety of interventions that can be undertaken to prevent or delay the occurrence of disease or reduce further transmission or exposure to disease.