Home Video Depictions of Health and Moral Decadence as Correlates of Entertainment – Education in Nigeria

Abstract

The emergence of mass media such as television, internet, radio, and mobile phones has transformed entertainment-education which has been around for centuries in the form of theatre, books, and storytelling. Entertainment-education is the process of purposely designing and implementing a media message to both entertain and educate, in order to increase audience knowledge about an educational issue, create favourable attitudes, and change overt behaviour. The home video is predominantly used for entertainment in the country and is a growing business that has attracted worldwide attention in its short span of existence. This study examines the depictions of health and moral decadence in the Nigerian home videos as instance of entertainment-education. Depictions of health and moral decadence in home videos may seemingly be the ‘self-reflective mirror’ of a society through its popular media to either call attention to their importance, glorify them or use their consequences to drive home some important lessons. If the home video is widely available and used for entertainment purposes in the country, to what extent therefore has it been used to further educational interests? The content analysis method of inquiry was adopted while the social cognitive theory and agenda setting theory were used as the theoretical framework with a sample of fifty Yoruba and English language home video films. The findings of the study have implications for theoretical and practical existence of the home video industry worldwide.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s1p293