This study investigates the influence of broadcast media on migration perceptions and behavior, with a particular focus on the “Japa syndrome” among youths in Enugu North, Nigeria. It explores how the framing of migration-related content in broadcast media shapes public attitudes toward illegal migration and examines the ethical concerns associated with such representations. The study adopted a quantitative research design, using structured questionnaires to collect data from 400 respondents. The findings revealed that a significant proportion of respondents (45%) perceive illegal migration as a viable solution to socio-economic challenges. Additionally, 48.5% of respondents agreed that broadcast media strongly influences their perception of migration issues. The study also identified key ethical concerns in media coverage, with 51% of respondents highlighting sensationalism and stereotyping as major problems in the portrayal of migration. These findings suggest that broadcast media plays a powerful role in shaping migration-related beliefs and decisions among young people. The research is grounded in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, which explains how individuals learn behaviors and attitudes through observation of media content. However, the findings also contrast with some regional studies that emphasize greater awareness of the risks associated with migration, indicating variations in media influence across contexts. Overall, the study concludes that there is a need for more ethical, balanced, and responsible broadcast media reporting on migration issues. Such improvements would help ensure more accurate public understanding and reduce the negative influence of sensationalist content on migration perceptions and decisions.
Eze et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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