Utilising the Mass Media for the Promotion of Religious Activities in Nigeria

Abstract

Mass media play a very crucial role in every society. The media can be generally viewed from two angles; first, as technological devices employed to disseminate information to a large and heterogeneous audience.  Second, as a social institution, which, refer to those highly organised or defined relationship for the gathering, processing, packaging and  dissemination of information, for public consumption. Thus, we can also classify the mass media as social institutions or systems, which function among other social institutions, including religious institutions. The media as the watchdogs of the society cannot be divorced from religious  institutions. Both the broadcast and the print media can be used to propagate morals, ethics and godliness, which are the basic principles of nation building in a country that forbids the establishment of broadcast  stations for outright religious broadcasting. The power of the media can be used to redress and reconstruct a country.s national value system by  carrying out religious activities. The media have the ability to communicate religious messages that will enable the people to achieve lofty ambitions and greatness, through hard work, godliness and civic principles, which will eventually bring about development in the society. Thus, the focus of the paper is on how the mass media can be used to promote moral attitudes in our people, which will in turn, lead to development in every other aspect.

Key Words: Mass Media, Information Dissemination, Religion and  Development