IMPACT OF DIGITAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES ON THE CULTURAL CONCEPTION AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA

ABSTRACT It seems as if Traditional media which had been channels used as means of preserving the cultures of people in the communities are no longer effective. Hence, this study is aimed at measuring the impact of Digital media as the new media that had evolved to improve and complement the Traditional media. The need to evaluate the impact of Digital media technologies on cultural conception and Traditional media in Bende L.G.A. of Abia state, Nigeria is the concern of this study, such that the researcher made use of survey research design for the study with a sample size of 200. The Simple Random and Purposive sampling technique was used to determine the sample size. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. The data collected was subjected to simple validity and reliability tests. The analysis of the data was based on statistical frequency tables using simple percentages. Some of the findings are that Radio is the most accessible medium suitable to enhance the understanding of peoples’ culture among all other Digital media; there are no Radio stations in any of the communities under Bende L.G.A., despite the usefulness of Radio stations in enhancing cultural understanding and preserving traditional media; in a bid to improve on the cultural understanding of people, the digital media technologies had in turn infiltrated foreign cultures into the peoples’ culture in order to turn the world into a global society. Based on these findings, recommendations such as; Government of various levels should help look into establishing Radio stations in rural communities and to provide all necessary support in financing, maintaining and improving on their operations. Digital media operators should make use of Traditional media in some of their programmes in other to keep in the mind of their audience the usefulness of these old media and to preserve them for future generations.