Evaluation of Broadcast Media and Voters? Education during Gubernatorial Election in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study investigated the evaluation of broadcast media and voters? education during gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The objective of the study was also to examine the activities of Broadcast media in educating Voters about the conduct of election and investigate how voters? education can be promoted during election by the broadcast media in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive research design of the survey type. The population for this study consists of 450 staff of radio stations and 450, 000 adult indigenes from 5 Local Government areas in Ekiti State. The sample for this study consists of 30 staff of two radio stations and 300 indigenes from 5 Local Government areas in Ekiti State. The instrument used was a self-designed Questionnaire titled ?Broadcast Media and Voters? education Questionnaire (Bmveq)?. was used to collect data from the respondents. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was ensured through experts? broadcast media, voters? education, tests, measurement and evaluation both within and outside Ekiti State. The reliability of the instrument was ensured using test-retest method and the value obtained was 0.94. Data collected for the study was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistic. The result showed that media stations run programmes in order to enlighten and sensitize. The result also showed that media house introduces indigenous and local languages in publicizing political information. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that Broadcast media have indeed contributed immensely in Voters? education through different running of traditional and indigenous programmes staged. More programmes on electoral enlightenment and education should be aired in order to keep the electoral and the populace informed about political activities and occurrences in the polity and that Government policies and programmes should also be made public so as to make the people more knowledgeable about governmental activities.