Project Abstract

Abstract
Community newspapers play a significant role in promoting cultural heritage in Nigeria. This research aims to assess the impact of community newspapers in raising awareness and preserving the cultural heritage of various communities in Nigeria. The study utilizes a qualitative research approach, including interviews with community newspaper editors, journalists, and cultural experts. It also involves content analysis of selected community newspapers to examine the coverage and portrayal of cultural heritage-related issues. Preliminary findings suggest that community newspapers have been essential in highlighting cultural events, traditions, and practices that are integral to different Nigerian communities. These newspapers serve as platforms for sharing stories, historical accounts, and cultural knowledge. Through their reporting, community newspapers contribute to the documentation and promotion of Nigeria's diverse cultural heritage. The study also reveals the challenges faced by community newspapers in effectively promoting cultural heritage. These challenges include limited resources, lack of government support, and competition from mainstream media. Despite these obstacles, community newspapers continue to play a crucial role in cultural heritage preservation through their grassroots approach and community-focused content. Furthermore, the research explores the perceptions of community members regarding the role of newspapers in promoting cultural heritage. The findings indicate that community newspapers are valued for their ability to showcase local customs, languages, and traditions. Readers appreciate the authentic representation of their culture in these newspapers and believe that they contribute to the preservation of their heritage. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of community newspapers in promoting cultural heritage in Nigeria. These newspapers serve as vital platforms for preserving and showcasing the rich cultural diversity of the country. By amplifying local voices and traditions, community newspapers play a significant role in fostering cultural pride and awareness among community members. Despite facing challenges, community newspapers continue to be instrumental in safeguarding Nigeria's cultural heritage for future generations.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The community newspapers are important forces in our society. They provide information and entertainment and, at the same time, have persuasive powers that are capable of effecting radical changes. For this reason, the role of the community newspaper in the development and promotion of our culture, moral and community life cannot be overestimated. In this modern day we are surrounded by the mass media. As a result of the explosive growth of the mass media in the recent past, they have become a natural part of life. However, the community newspaper should not merely be accepted as natural; each person should become aware of how they influence the shaping of his or her own being and the environment in which he or she lives.

Development is the singular ultimate quest of every society. Even the advanced countries still thirst for further development. Essentially, development implies the desire to improve or progress towards improvement in the quality of life of the people or majority of the people in a given society or community (Konkwo, 2010). And what happens during development, in essence is that a more active system is created and relations that have been dormant are awakened and parts that have been largely eccentric become interrelated and able to bring about an enormous progress in further activity and productivity. This embraces the social and cultural progress of that society, including those multitudes of different types of changes (in society) from the relatively specific notion of economic expansion to industrialization, urbanization, increase in literacy rates and so on.

When therefore, one talks of the role of the community newspaper in the promotion of cultural heritage, broadly speaking, one is referring to the roles of these media in encouraging people to accept and practice changes in attitudes and behaviour that will bring about development. Culture could be likened to tradition, which is a belief, principle or way of behaviour which people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time. A culture or tradition seems to exist in a community, perhaps forever, because it is passed on from one generation to another through traditional means of communication. Since cultural beliefs are transferred from the older to the younger generation, there is the temptation to ask how the process of transference will continue when the old and aged become extinct (Myers, 2000). This is where the issue of communication comes in to ensure that there is a continuous flow of culture from one generation to the next.

Many social changes evident today are at least partially attributable to community newspaper. Cultural, moral and community opinions have been changed largely by the fact that the mass media can provide seemingly uninterrupted news that have influenced community life, indigenous culture and morals as well.