The role of the media in Achieving the SDG’s in the Nigerian health sector: A study of Jos South LGA of plateau state
People need to communicate in order to develop. Participation, conversation, and the sharing of knowledge and information among people are all components of development communication. It takes the needs of the public into account as it develops.
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Media and SDGs in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the media has carved out a special position for itself in the lives of ordinary citizens. The success of democracy depends on the media as the fourth estate. We must select a delegate to rule us. Shrinivasan believed that a democracy cannot exist unless its citizens are fully informed about everything that affects their lives. To ensure that the public is always well-informed and that the media are actually under community control, a system for managing media decision-making must be developed. 2 By distributing vital knowledge necessary for human life, the media has made a significant contribution to society. Additionally, it can be used to rally support and raise consciousness among the general public about a range of issues. Our knowledge of policies, political, social, economic, cultural, and academic reforms taking place across the country, as well as wheatear forecasts and policies, is kept current by the media. The media is the bedrock of any democracy. It benefits the common person by educating them about their social responsibilities and rights. Despite the fact that modern media has only been around for a few decades, its technological and content advancements rank among the most significant ever. The public receives information from the mass media swiftly because they provide in-depth coverage of everything that occurs worldwide.
These media are efficient at reaching their intended audiences, allow for responsible use, provide a higher level of realism, affect attitudes, illustrate cause and effect relationships, and ultimately inspire the audience.
By bridging the allegedly widening gap between the public and private realms, the media has significantly helped. By influencing attitudes, instilling good values, raising cultural awareness, and acquainting people with their cultural heritage, it also serves as a catalyst for social change. Interpersonal communication and group dynamics can be supported by the media. It makes the instructions clearer and piques people’s curiosity about various subjects. Various roles are played by media of all kinds, depending on their characteristics, acceptance, audience, and appeal. Classes, requirements, effectiveness, and impact are all geographically defined in order to achieve the desired outcome that the media has planned for. With the aid of, among other things, radio, television, the press, movies, the internet, social media, and new media, the idea is made clearer, more resilient, and more believable.
2. Sustainability in development
Along with other contemporary buzzwords like “globalization,” “clash of civilizations,” “modernism,” “postmodernism,” “human development,” “structural,” “genomics,” “informatics,” and so forth, the phrase “sustainable development” has been used both nationally and internationally. It aims to achieve a better balance between the economic, social, and environmental aspects rather than just raising environmental consciousness. It now affects non-governmental organizations, economists, ecologists, administrators, communication specialists, environmentalists, human rights activists, lawyers, and feminists. Sustainable development is a multifaceted and cross-disciplinary concept (NGOs). 7 In other words, it has developed into a favorite among all. The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as the ability to make development sustainable, i.e., to ensure that it meets individual needs. Sustainable development is interested in social change, including its potential and directions. 8 Its development is based on hindsight, which comes naturally from man’s inability to avoid making mistakes and unwillingness to grow from them, no matter how big or small. It is true that numerous organizations have shown interest in the concept of sustainable development. A biologist completely focuses on bio diversity, whereas an economist completely focuses on growth, all of which contribute to the common goal of sustainable development. Their entire plan is geared toward achieving this particular objective. During the Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, the UN established 17 goals and 169 targets for the Sustainable Development Goals. It is more crucial than ever to address environmental challenges and adopt SD as a national strategy, both at the macro and local levels. The media plays a significant role in the spread of this message. Awareness where the nation stands in terms of studying the basics of the environment requires an understanding of how the mass media, especially the news media, reflect the environment in their coverage. 9 Between these two objectives, there is a great desire to improve the world. While sustainability refers to something that lasts for a very long time, development refers to a desired change in society. Understanding the relationship between the environment, economic development, social development, and environmental preservation at the local, national, regional, and global levels served as the catalyst for the movement.
3. ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN ACHIEVING SDGs
In our society, the media plays an important role in peoples’ daily lives. The most important communication tool, made available in many different ways, particularly mass media, has significantly influenced how people perceive and are aware of the SDGs. There are differences in how advertising companies and mass media outlets convey scientific knowledge to the general public. Various new media, radio, print, electronic, and the internet are a few of them. Electronic media, currently the most popular form of communication, effectively prepares a group to introduce innovation and reinforce ideas. Environmentalists, scientists, businesspeople, and broadcasters—those who have set the agenda for raising awareness of the SDGs—are efficiently and quickly disseminating information about them with the assistance of government representatives. Success in today’s world depends on sustainable development. The roles, operations, and practices of new media and news professionals have undergone a significant change in recent decades as a result of the rapid advancements in communication technology, the ease with which the public can access it, and growing economic constraints. In print and visual media, the internet era has seen a number of globally successful social initiatives. One example is the NDTV Toyota “a green” campaign, which was only concerned with raising public awareness of the environment and enticing people to take action. Through initiatives like Swacha Bharat Abhiyan, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the government has significantly supported audio visual media, which plays a significant role in addressing sustainability issues like climate change, poverty, ecosystem protection, inequality, and economic development. Electronic media is incredibly appealing as a mass medium. The goal of SDG-related news, features, documentaries, or development efforts is to pique the interest of the audience. Because it is made current to appeal to people of various ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, it is effective in getting people to participate in development projects.
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