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Audience Perception Of The Punch Newspaper Cartoons: A Study Of Caritas University
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Chapter One
Introduction
1:1 Background of the Study
Communication
being a mandatory factor for interaction and correlation, stipulates
the need to communicate with individuals in a contemporary civilization
which is a basic requirement for survival, just as food, clothing,
shelter e.t.c. are essential for human existence.
Communication, the
most vital form of human interaction, is absolutely necessary for any
enduring human relationship, be it interpersonal or international.
Groups, institutions, organizations and nations exist by virtue of
communication and cease to exist once communication is totally
interfered with.
Communication therefore, is the livewire of any
society and the world at large. It stipulates the paramount factor of
unification due to the fact that a society that is kept in-communicado
is a dead one. Indeed, communication is the fulcrum of social
intercourse and the mirror through which society sees itself.
Cooley
in Daramola (2003:1) asserts that ―communication is the mechanism
through which human relationship exist and develops‖. It is through
effective communication that every part of the society is accessed and
social and institutional changes effected.
Communication is,
undisputedly the carrier of social system. It shapes people and people
shape it. Proper and effective communication provides useful information
that enables people make informed decisions and well executed actions.
In
compliance to dissemination of information and communicating
effectively are journalists. Journalists who are professionals trained
for the collection, processing, correlation and dissemination of
information, are powerful gatekeepers and actors whose work sustain a
society. The print media journalist through their news stories,
editorials and opinions contained in newspapers and magazines, not only
set the agenda for public discourse, but also reflect the environment.
Casmus in Abdulsalaam (1987:49) has said ―a newspaper is a nations conscience‖.
Akinfeleye
(2003:18) observes that journalists are ―public servants informing
members of the public on issues of public interest‖.
Essentially,
they are the watchdogs who keep watch on the institutions of the
society. They are, therefore expected to inform and educate the people
and also create a forum which affords people the opportunity to examine
and consider all sides there are to an issue. 2
Modern newspaper
tends to carry many light and sensitive materials including articles
written in a light mood. This feature fulfils the entertainment function
of a newspaper. Among the light content is the cartoon.
According
to Ahuja and chhabra (2002:22-23), cartoons are one of the light
materials used by newspaper houses to lighten the mood of their readers
as they (cartoons) have become an integral and common feature of most
newspapers, if not all. In the words of Ahuja and Chhabra, ―even the
most serious newspapers and magazines nowadays are expected to carry
strip cartoons or topical comics here and there. It is one thing on
which most of the newspapers seem to be agreed as it makes for the
continued popularity of such newspaper…… and offers a welcome change
from the cares, anxieties and worries of everyday life‖.
Rivers et
al (1977:20-21), said that as an ―entertainment tool, cartoons provide
respite for the individual which, perhaps encourages him to continuously
indulge himself with such palliative media messages‖. Regardless of the
escape they provide from the supposed ‗dreary‘ and ‗boredom‘ of reading
straight news, features, commentaries and opinions, they are also a
rich source of humour, satire, innuendos and parody, often used to
condemn, commend, and generally pass across salient and trivial
messages.
In most cases, rather than real pictures, cartoons are
used to illustrate stories, events, occurrences and happenings. They
also lend some aesthetic value to the overall design of a newspaper or
magazine. In fact, cartoonists are known to make a decent living from
cartoon drawings, just as more print media houses are beginning to
appreciate the value of cartoons and devoting more newspaper space to
it.
According to the Longman‘s Contemporary English Dictionary,
cartoons are funny drawings in newspapers, often including humorous
cartoons. The Oxford Advanced Learner‘s Dictionary describes a cartoon
as an amusing drawing in a newspaper or magazine, especially one about
politics or events in the news.
According to Obasi (2011:149),
cartoon is a drawing or series of drawings that tells a story or
expresses a message. It can be a type of drawing, usually intended to be
amusing used in newspapers, magazines and books.
Pictures are said
to be worth a thousand words according to a Chinese saying, and as
cartoons happen to be funny pictorial representations of real events
and/or characters, this saying also applies to them. This is so because
pictures are able to depict more clearly things that have to be
explained in so many words. Apart from newspapers, cartoons are also
used in magazines, journals, books as well as television programmes
where they are animated and made to seem as if they are moving.
Newspaper
cartoons have, however been employed as a tool for editorializing i.e.
passing across the organization‘s view on pertinent public or national
issues. They have been used to 3
accompany stories to illustrate
what is written. Cartoons help sensitize people against social vices,
thus facilitating positive human interaction, yet bearing in mind the
entertainment function they are designed to serve.
Cartoons have
proved to be very indispensable because while some individuals may not
be literate enough to read and adequately understand the message
contained in news stories, they are still able to have an understanding
of cartoons and the recognition of the subject in such cartoons.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Cartoons have more recently become a prominent feature in newspapers. An increasing number of publishers and editors have realised its relevance and are beginning to exploit its full potentials. Despite its usefulness and popularity which is assuming a viral dimension in many media houses, one wonders, as replete and common place as these cartoons are in newspapers, do they command the attention, let alone the readership of the reading audience? Hence, this researcher sought to know the pattern ... Continue reading---
