ATTITUDE OF FEMALE MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS TOWARDS JOURNALISM AS A CAREER

 INTRODUCTION

It has been observer that female student journalist have negative attitudes towards taking up journalism as a career on graduation. This negative attitude is highly reflected in the number of woman engaged in communication work in various media of communication all over the country offering courses leading to the award of various degrees and certificates, including national and high national diplomas, bachelors degrees, and masters degree. The increase of female journalist in this school is not reflected in the number practicing journalism.

In June, 1983 alone, about 22 female journalist graduated from oko and Auchi polytechnics while the while the institute of management and technology (IMT) enugu turned out not less than 18 female journalist the same year, the Ozoro polytechnic also had about 10 female journalist the same year.

The picture in other mass communication schools virtually the same, for instance in 1983, the university of Nigeria Nsukka graduated not less than 8 female journalist, the university of Ibadan which offers past graduates studies mass communication produced 3 female journalist in the year 1983 too.        

     This data about expanding number of female journalist graduate s stand in stark contrast to what this researcher has observed in media institution as far of female participation in mass communication work is concerned. in recent years media houses across the country have been facing an increasing shortage of trained young women in various communication activities. 

The “daily star” newspaper, for instance has only one female trained journalist while the editorial department alone has about 18 males. One question then that could arise from this imbalance is, does this suggest a kind of discrimination against the employment of women, as Alice Fins, who was also worried about this situation observed: according to he, “if there were more women seeking for jobs in the media mass communication and also more men seeking for work in the field with the same ability and background the men got the job. She notes that it is only when a woman is better qualified or worked harder would she be awarded the job, she further said that very often, the woman’s job was at a lower rate of pay than would receive and involved doing more professional tasks.

The Anambra television authority has a good number of trained male journalists, working in the different areas, but has only about four trained female journalist, the Nigerian television authority enugu (NTA channel 8) has only about 2 trained female journalist. The other media institutions not mentioned are not likely to be a sharp contrast from those mentioned.