Broadcast Media Contents in Shaping Audience Attitude Towards Environmental Sanitation in Nigeria

. This study investigated Broadcast Media Content in Shaping Audience Attitudes towards Environmental Sanitation in Nigeria using Makurdi Metropolis as a case study. It sought to determine the effectiveness of environmental sanitation-related content in shaping residents' attitudes towards the environment. The study was anchored on the hypodermic needle theory. The survey research method was adopted to elicit information using a questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. Findings from the study reveal that residents use broadcast media as their source of information. Results also show that broadcast media produce consent relating to environmental sanitation, and such content shapes residents' habits towards the environment. Hence, the study concludes that broadcast media help shape audience attitudes on ecological sanitation. A considerable percentage of respondents to this study believe that the broadcast media shapes their attitude towards waste disposal and environmental sanitation. Therefore, the study recommends issuing an order by NBC to broadcast stations regarding environmental sanctions, recycling of waste, and government and non-governmental organisations' involvement in ecological sanitation.


INTRODUCTION
As the development of different cities worldwide continues to evolve, environmental sanitation is an issue of concern due to its effects on living and non-living.The author [8] highlighted some of the world's environmental problems as global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer.
Broadcast media covers various communication methods, including television, Radio, Podcasts, Blogs, website online streaming and digital journalism.Broadcast media produces valuable information that can inform, educate and entertain [1].Waste accumulation is a problem that has been addressed.Several systems have been implemented to address this issue.Several businesses and organisations have emerged to manage waste, including commercial, public, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).Despite the media's increasing impact, particularly that of broadcast media in developing countries, it is still being determined how these media outlets have been used to raise community knowledge of development issues, such as efficient waste management.Authors [4] agree that Radio is a broad-cast medium deemed the fastest affordable and best means of disseminating information to dispersed heterogeneous populations because it is flexible.It can cover a range of areas.
Authors [18] assert that the mass media play a crucial role in any nation's development.In playing an essential role in the story, the mass as a channel of information, education, and entertainment utilises all the above means in charting a course toward positivity.
The adherence to proper environmental sanitation conduct has become an issue of concern in developing countries such as Nigeria.Despite a notable improvement from what it was in the late 1980 and early 1990, living with rubbish as part of one's natural surroundings has become the norm in some parts of Nigeria [2].
The negative impact of environmental sanitation is enormous; individuals who fail to practice proper environmental habits end up adversely affecting their health.Environmental sanitationrelated disease exacerbates poverty by diminishing productivity and household income [6].
Data from [17] indicates that more than 2.4 billion people worldwide currently lack adequate sanitation and are required to dispose of their waste in unimproved and unsanitary conditions.Those who suffer from this lack the majority of essential human needs and frequently suffer from poverty, illness, and a generally low quality of life.This forms a basis for social scientists and researchers searching for a possible way to improve the situation.
The power of the media cannot be (Radio and Television) are widely used in homes across Makurdi.Hence the researcher sought out the views of individuals on the influence broadcast media content have had on their environmental sanitation habit,

Statement of the research problem
Environmental sanitation is the responsibility of every citizen, and waste disposal and management is a problem affecting different developing cities in Nigeria.Every individual is a potential waste generator contributing to this problem.
The government often made efforts to ensure a responsible attitude towards waste disposal and management through the provision of waste cans in different locations, weekly environmental sanitation exercises and the condition of dump sites, though such efforts not proving to be enough with the current outlook of other neighbourhood streets and walkways.Available literature indicates that several studies have been conducted on environmental sanitation, cleanliness and waste disposal.Yet, the ecological habits of inhabitants around different cities in Nigeria do appreciate; instead, environmental degradation through faulty patterns is rising in the wake of climate change around the globe.
In the wake of the above, it is essential to examine the importance of the broadcast media in charting a course towards proper environmental sanitation, which can reposition different cities and towns to a healthy environment.Also, this study is essential as a contribution to academics and knowledge.It will also reference the importance of broadcast media content in promoting environmental sanitation.The study's overall objective was to determine the role broadcast media content relating to environmental sanitation plays in healthy liveli-hood around towns and villages in Nigeria.However, the specific goals of the study are: 1.To ascertain if respondents make use of broadcast media (Radio and Television) and how often 2. To verify if broadcast media communicate environmental-related content.
3. To determine the format in which the programmes relating to environmental sanitation are displayed.4. To find out how they manage their waste.5. To find out if the broadcast media content contributes to their habits towards environmental sanitation.

Theoretical Framework
The hypodermic needle theory forms the theoretical undertone of this study.According to [14], the theory states that mass media has a direct, immediate and consequential effect on its audience.The theory posits that mass media messages could reach an extensive group of people directly and uniformly to infuse change in thought, attitudes and behaviour.
Author [14] further explained that the theory, also known as the bullet theory, suggests that the messages are a bullet fired from the media' gun 'into the viewer's head with similar emotive imagery.The hypodermic needle model means that media messages are injected into a passive audience immediately influenced by the statements.
According to [1], the theory was propounded by Hareld Laswell.They further posit that the media needle injects into the audience's mind and hence can change audience behaviour and psyche towards the massages.
Authors [10] explain that the theory is based on the principle that the media affects the audience, and users are disarmed against it.The author further posits that The magic bullet theory states that a message is similar to a bullet that shoots from a gun (a form of media) to a person's brain (user or receiver).Therefore, media messages are needles that are directly injected into the bodies of passive users and immediately and deeply influence them.
Authors [5,9] state that the theory to audience members is passive and at the mercy of mass media content.It, therefore, holds that persuasive media content achieves desired attitudinal change from the target audience.

Literature Review
The word "environment" comes from the French verb "environia," which means to surround.It refers to the biotic (living) and abiotic (physical or non-living) environment [11].Environment refers to the physical surroundings of an organism.The environment and living things are two dynamic and intricate parts of nature.The environment controls how creatures, including people, live.Humans engage in more active interactions with their surroundings than other living things.Environment often refers to the elements and forces surrounding a living being [15].The circumstances surrounding and impacting living things' lives are called the environment.It comprises the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, and the biosphere.Its primary constituents include soil, water, air, living things, and solar energy.It has provided us with all the means necessary to live comfortably.According to [15], the environment is anything immediately surrounding an object and directly influencing it.According to [15], the environment is an outside factor that affects us.Therefore, "environment" refers to anything directly influencing an object's immediate surroundings.The things or organisations that, despite being external to us, impact our daily lives or activities are our environments.The environment surrounding and influencing man includes possible natural, artificial, social, biological, and psychological components [7].Also, the surroundings or circumstances in which a person, animal, or plant lives or functions are known as the environment.All components of the physical and biological worlds and their interconnections are collectively referred to as the "environment."Since human life relies on the environment, the environment plays a crucial role in a person's life cycle.The environment has both economic and recreational importance.Many parts comprise the environment, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.Nevertheless, it can be loosely classified into two categories: a) Microenvironments.The term "microenvironment" refers to an organism's immediate local surroundings.
b) Macro environments.The term "macro environment" refers to all the external biotic and physical factors surrounding an organism.
It can also be classified into the c) Physical environment.Abiotic factors or conditions such as temperature, light, rainfall, soil, minerals, etc., are referred to as the physical environment.It is made up of the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.d) Biological environment groups.The term "biotic environment" refers to all biotic components or living things, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms [15].

Empirical review
Before now, social scientists and researchers in communication, media and environmental studies have examined the media's role in ensuring a healthy environment.
The author [4] examined the impact of domestic waste on the residential environment of some selected neighbourhoods of Akure.They studied two areas, Oke Aro and Isolo.Their findings show that individuals' health cannot be considered in isolation from the environment in which they live.Based on the results, they recommended public enlightenment, enforcement of environmental and waste disposal protection laws, and re-introducing old sanitary inspection with corresponding policy statements.
Authors [16] examined the role of broadcast media outlets in educating the public on solid waste management in Kigali.From the findings obtained from 385 respondents, they are encouraged to put policies in place and sensitise the people on the importance of a clean and healthy environment.
Authors [18] public awareness about solid waste management in Kota sought to find people's views regarding household waste disposal and their understanding of the problems associated with solid waste disposal.From the findings obtained through the questionnaire administration to 100 families, they recommended public participation, which he sees as a critical success to solid waste management.

METHODOLOGY
The researcher selected Makurdi because it is the state's capital, hosting more Broadcast stations than any other local government.Given that the state's estimated population, according to [13], stands at 500,797, the author used to reduce the sample size to 400, which is researchable.
The study adopted a multi-sampling technique in choosing respondents.
Accordingly, stratified sampling techniques, purposive sampling techniques, simple random sampling techniques, and chain referral techniques will be used to determine the population sample.
Firstly, stratified sampling was used to split Makurdi local government into Makurdi north and Makurdi south.The rationale is that they have a reasonable number of people affected by poor environmental practices living there.
Secondly, purposive sampling was used to select the council's chosen ward's headquarters.The reason is that residents of the centre of the local government are educated and exposed and can provide informed views on the role of influence broadcast media content in environmental sanitation and urban degradation.
Thirdly, a simple random sampling technique was used to choose communities in the selected council wards.North Bank Community was selected in the North Bank Council ward, and Wadata was set in Ankpa/Wadata.The reason for this selection is that the selected areas are representative of the people living in an environmentally degraded area in the Makurdi Area.The people living in these areas could provide detailed views on the broadcast media content's role in environmental sanitation and, thus, generate relevant data for the study.Finally, the chain referral technique was used to select household and individual respondents who will attend the questionnaire for the survey.In the chain referral technique, the researcher will choose 200 respondents from each area in Makurdi, bringing the total number of respondents to four hundred (400).This was adopted because it gives all items an equal opportunity of being selected in the sample.
A structured questionnaire covering demographics and research questions with closeended questions serves as the researcher's primary data collection instrument.The closedended questioning was adopted to avoid the intrusion of variables; from the 400 questionnaires administered, 364 were returned, while 36 were not returned.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 shows that a majority (i.e., 71%) of the respondents are male.In contrast, 105, which forms 29% of the respondents, are female, indicating that men use the media more than women in Nigeria, though it shows that the use of broadcast media cut across genders; male and female listens to Radio and watch television.  1 shows that 27% of the respondent respondents fall between 18-30 years, while 79 respondents representing 22%, are in the age bracket of 31-40, respondents representing 51% fall under the age bracket of 41 and above, which shows that respondents are mature enough to give valid response as it concerns the study. 1 represent the educational distribution of the respondents with no formal education has 17 respondents representing 5% of the samples.Primary education has 26 respondents representing 7%.Secondary education has 55 respondents representing 15%, while 206 respondents representing 73% of the total population, have tertiary educational qualifications.This implies that the respondents are educated and knowledgeable, and their opinion can be valid for the study.Analysis Table 2 shows that 364 (100%) respondents use broadcast media (Radio or Television).The acceptance of the broadcast media indicates that individuals depend on the media for information on a daily, so they tend to watch television or Radio.

Data in Table
Table 2 shows the frequency of the usage of broadcast media.It shows that the majority of the respondents, 220 (60.4%), make use of the broadcast media daily, while 44 (12%) patronise the broadcast media once a week, 70 respondents (19.2%) use the broadcast media twice a week while 30 respondents (8.2%) are not regular.Table 3 shows that 340 (93.4%) of respondents consent that environmental sanitation-related contents are communicated through programmes, jingles, and public service announcements (PSAs) format 24 (6.5%) of the respondents alluded that they are not sure of the format of the contents.On the frequency of the commutation of environmental sanitation-related contents, 346 (100%) respondents disagree that the messages are not communicated daily, as shown in Table 4.The data analysis shows that the residents' waste disposal habit in Makurdi is influenced by broadcast media content.The data in table 4 reveals that all the respondents engage in routine environmental sanitation in their homes to ascertain how their waste is disposed of 210 (60.7%) respondents burn their waste; 106 (30.7%) make use of dumpsites located in different parts of the city; (8.7%) dispose of their trash to waste collectors that move around the city often.Data show that 285 (82.3%) of respondents agree that awareness campaigns by broadcast media organ-isations have contributed to their waste disposal habits.33 (9.5%) of the respondents stated that awareness campaigns do not influence their waste disposal habits, while 25 (8%) indicated that awareness campaigns affect their waste disposal habits.

CONCLUSIONS
After a critical analysis of the data collected during this study, following the findings gotten, the researcher: 1. To ascertain if the respondents use the broadcast media and how often, the study found that a reasonable number of people use the broadcast media, and respondents use the broadcast media at least once awake.
2. To determine the format in which contents relating to environmental sanitation are communicated, the study found that such contents are communicated through jingles, public service announcements and discussion programmes.Also, findings attest that such content should be displayed daily.
3. To determine how respondents dispose of their waste, the study finds that most respondents dispose of their waste un-hygienically without any recycling plan.
4. While the study attempted to determine if the broadcast media contents contribute to the respondent's habits towards environmental sanitation, findings reveal that such contents generally contribute to their waste disposal habit and ecological sanitation.
In summary, with the above findings, this study agrees that contents from broadcast media can convince residents to practice environmental sanitation and dispose of waste properly.Many respondents agree that ranges from the broad-cast media influence their decision to ecological sanitation.This is an assertion with the hypodermic needle theory of this study, which states that mass media has a direct, immediate and consequential effect on its audience [10].The study submits that the media positively influences people's decisions and attitudes.
The following recommendations are made based on research findings.
1. Broadcast organisations should be mandated by the National Broadcasting Commission, the governing body of broadcast stations in Nigeria, to produce content relating to environmental sanitation daily in their broadcast station, allowing all recipients to know the environment.
2. Recycling of waste should be encouraged by the government.The parliament should enact a bill to criminalise the country's burning of waste and improper sanitation.
3. Since findings show that content from the broadcast media contributes to environmental sanitation habits, the government and nongovernmental organisations should buy airtime on broadcast stations to educate the listener about the adverse effect of improper ecological sanitation.

Table 1 -
Analysing the demographics of the respondents

Table 2 -
Determining the use of Broadcast media

Table 3 -
Ascertaining the format of the programme

Table 4 -
Finding out if Broadcast Media Contents Contributes to waste management and environmental sanitation