Exploring Audience Perception of Ramogi Fm’s Duond Mine Programme in the Fight Against Defilement in Homa Bay County

Abstract

Communication is a vital tool that people use to share knowledge and solve problems. Mass media are a key tool for aiding communication between an individual or a group of people and audience who are scattered in various places. As a form of mass media, vernacular radio is considered significant because it broadcasts in an indigenous language that almost all the target audience can understand. Thus, this study explored perception of audience of Ramogi FM‟s Duond Mine Programme in the fight against defilement in Homa Bay County. The study provided the room for investigating the following study objectives: Homa Bay residents‟ purpose for listening to Duond Mine Progrmme in the fight against defilement in the county, audience‟s perception of Duond Mine Programme regarding the fight against defilement in Homa Bay County and messages broadcast via Duond Mine Programme which are tailored to the fight against defilement in Homa Bay County. The literature reviewed in this study showed that defilement is a serious problem that ruins lives of more girls than boys. Most of the defiled girls ended up being infected with AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections or became pregnant. The target population comprised residents of eight sub-counties in Homa Bay. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and triangulation of data collection. The study was anchored on Elihu Katz‟s Uses and Gratification Theory, and Maxwell McCombs‟ and Danold Shaw‟s Agenda Setting Theory. Primary quantitative data and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires and interview guides. The study applied content analysis in analyzing the data to get the research findings. The findings revealed that Duond Mine Programme can be used as a device for fighting against defilement. The study recommended that Duond Mine Programme should be reviewed to increase its listenership and effectiveness in spreading anti defilement messages.