Ojebode, A. and Sonibare, S. (2004) A Little More than a strong Urge: An Investigation into the Influence of Radio Reading Programmes on Listeners’ Practice of reading” West African Journal of Education Vol. xxiv, Number 1; pp. 79-89

ABSTRACT:

Scholars and policymakers are increasingly recognising the central place of reading in the total education of the individual. One of the results of this is the involvement of many segments of the society in the promotion of a reading culture. These include the mass media. This study singled out a popular mass medium, radio, focusing on its reading programmes with a view to determining if these programmes indeed caused people to read. An in-depth interview technique was adopted and data were analysed through a combination of descriptive and qualitative methods. Majority (88%) of our respondents believed that radio reading programmes could indeed promote a culture of reading. About 66% stated that listening to the programmes created in them a strong urge to read but only about 24% had ever actually read as a result of listening to radio reading programmes, though all the respondents were literate. This pattern cuts across different levels of education. The study uncovered a number of reasons for the “urge-action” gap and suggested ways to more effectively employ radio in promoting a culture of reading