DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TOWN-CRIER OF OLDEN DAYS AND THE JOURNALIST OF TODAY

 THE MARKED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NIGERIAN JOURNALIST OF TODAY AND THE TOWN CRIER

ABSTRACT
Over the years, the perception towards the African  traditional mode of communication continue to seize. This was due to the advent of the modern mass media of communication. Although, the both media serve the same purpose of transmitting of information to the publics, but they actively exist at different time. That is why the aim of these paper is very important to me as a learner of mass commununication.

The aim of  the paper is to look into, if there is any marked difference between the Nigerian journalist of today and the town crier of the olden days, the role they perform, where they have a cross breed, the reasons why one dominate the other one, and why the dominated one cannot stop to exist. This are few among the questions that the paper will address.

INTRODUCTION
The African tradition media (known as the OraMedia) exist actively during the days of our fore-fathers. At that time, families are gradually growing into villages and the villages also are growing into towns and towns also growing into cities. So, there was great need for communication. They deployed the uses of town crier, talking drum, bush burning, smoking e.t.c. to communicate far and wide within the village and the neighbouring communities either for war, ceremonies, birth, death etc.

The modern mass media of communication came to Africa in the 18th century with the encounter of the Africans and the Europeans. It started with newspaper, to radio, television and now the internet. With the coming of these media, Africans abandoned their traditional mode of communication and adapt to the European way of communication. Because, it is fast in reaching and fast in spreading of information to far different people scatter around the globe. And at such fulfilling what Marshall McLuhan prophesise  the world as a "global village".

Now before looking at the difference between the Nigerian journalist of today and the town crier of the olden days. I will like to start by stating the definition of the terms that constitute the discussion.

THE TOWN CRIER
The town crier in the history of Africa is a person assigned with the responsibility of making public announcement to the people living in the village. He carries information from the king or the village head, walk through the village and shout the message for the villagers to hear. With the help and uses of his gong, drum, or bell, he gain the people's attention. He is well known and protected by law. In the pre-colonial days, especially when many in traditional African societies could neither read nor write, town criers were made the chief means of news communication with people of a town. They were involved in reading proclamations, local laws, announcing market days or missing person in a given society. They were usually employed by town council to make public announcements in the streets. Town criers, as many would say, were the forerunners of the modern announcer who delivers radio and television commercials. The services of town criers were a global phenomenon just as studies attributed its spread largely due to British colonisation.

THE JOURNALIST
Journalist on the other hand is a well trained professional, saddled with the responsibilities of gathering of information from various angles of human endeavours and disseminate it through the channel of mass communication to the general publics. These publics are scattered, heterogeneous, faceless, countless e.t.c.

From the above definitions, we can see that the both terms serves one purpose and aim. Their role is to make sure that information gathered reaches the target audience that might need them.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NIGERIAN JOURNALIST OF TODAY AND THE TOWN CRIER OF OLDEN DAYS

Despite their similarities, the duo differs from different degrees, ranging from the different aspect and nature of their operations which I shall be discussing thus:

THE NATURE OF THE MESSAGE
The nature of the message of the town crier is based on oral. He goes about shouting his message with his voice. The information is transmitted with the direct words of the mouth without any aid of external items. Compare to the journalist of today whose message is carefully and systematically written and presented. It need the help of paper, microphone, speakers, recorder, camera e.t.c. to present his information.

PERMANENCE OF THE MESSAGE
The town crier message is instantly spread and was not recorded and stored. The message has no permanence. And at such, it does not guarantee the receiver to receive the message at his or her convenient place and time. Unlike the journalist of today whose message is carefully and systematically written down, printed on newspapers and posted on the internet. Ensuring the permanence of the message which makes it to last for a long period of time and can be retrieve anytime, anywhere which gives the receiver the guarantee to receive the message at his or her convenient place and time. Also, as some newspaper, radio, and television channels has website which all the information are posted, the people who are not present or near to the journalist will get the message even before those who are closest to the journalist.

THE MODE OF TRANSMISSION
Since the town crier goes around the village shouting his messages, the mode of the communication is face-to-face aspect. This guarantee instant feedback. Because, the villagers might ask the town crier some questions about the message which may clarify some doubts and misunderstanding which might come with the message. But this is not so in the case of the journalist. He remain independent and distantly with the target audience. He did not even know the face, names, numbers, or the house of the receivers of the message. He reports the stories as it happens and left them with the tension and doubts which it might come along with the message.

THE COST OF PRODUCTION AND RECEIVE
This difference is the advantage side of the town crier. The message transmitted by the town crier is cheap and free. The listener of the message only need his listening ear and brain to hear and understand the message been putted across. He might be working on the farm, walking on the road, buying or selling in the market, gisting with his friends e.t.c. when the message will be spread. He or she will just listen, understand the message and know what to do with the message received. But in the case of the journalist of today, where there is need and usage of technologies in producing the message. So, the listener need another technological aid to receive the message. He buys the newspaper, radio, television, computer, pays electric bills, and sometimes buy battery or generator. And at such, huge amount of money is paid in order to receive the message.

THE PRESENCE OF GATE-KEEPPERS
This has to do with the presence of the gate-keeping in journalism. These gate-keepers stand between the journalist who source and gathered the message and the target audience who receives the message (i.e. they serve as the middlemen). Their responsibility is to trim, screen, reshape, restructure and also ensure either the message should be transmit or not. They also try to ensure that the message has a good taste with consciousness of the implication it will have on the people. But not with the town crier whose has no obstruction in delivering of his message. He took his message directly from the source to the receiver, reporting the information words for words as was laid down to him by the king or the village head without minding the consequences of it on the target audience.

THE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE OF ACTION
The journalist of today has the freedom to go to all area of human endeavour and listen, watch, observe and gathers what he think has a societal interest, without waiting to be told, summon or commanded. But the town crier cannot on his own goes around the village and gathers report on the activities of the villagers and announce it to the whole villagers and the neighbouring communities. That is to say that he has nothing to tell the villagers unless been summon and ask to do so.

SERVING AS A WATCH-DOG
This is one of the important difference between the journalist of today and the town crier. This issue is base on the fact that the journalist of today serve the responsibility of being a watch-dog to the society. The journalist as we all know has so many role to play in the society apart from gathering of information for the media to transmit. The other roles include being neutral between the government and the society, with objective and balance. Since the journalist has the freedom to gather information from all angles of human endeavour without waiting to be commanded or summon, he reports what happen in the society as it happens without minding who was involve. Be it the president, the senate, the governor, the richest man in the country, dreaded organisation (e.g. Boko Haram), the common people in the society  e.t.c. By so doing, he watches the activities of these powerful people and reports both their good and the wrong deeds to the general public within and outside of the country. Therefore, making them accountable for their actions, be it meetings, ceremonies, travelling, crime, celebrations, war e.t.c. Unlike the town crier, who only live by the message of the king or village head. He did not goes about reporting people's activities or actions. Even if the message giving to him has selfish interest of the king or the village head, he has no right to add comment to it. Thereby, serve no purpose of watching over the village.

SCOPE OF COVERAGE
Another is the scope of coverage and time reaching. Journalism of today has a wide scope of coverage and large number of target audiences and fast in reaching them compare to the town crier. The target audience for journalism crowded over towns, cities and around the world, ranging from millions to billions, scattered around the globe with different tastes and perceptions. And with the uses of the mass media, they are reached in a short period of time. But in the case of the town crier, his scope is just within the village and it neighbouring community which took him alot of time and energy before completing his task. Because, he has to walk round the village and the neighbouring communities which might be some kilometre away  shouting the message on top of his voice.

APPLICATION IN THE RURAL AREA
Despite the huge advantages that the Nigerian journalist of today and has over the town crier of the olden days, there are some areas now that the town crier can easily be apply than the Nigerian journalist. For instance, in the area of grassroots mobilisation, the town crier can be easily use than to the journalist. The town crier only need to carry his gong, drum, bell or anything that can aid him in gaining people's attention, went round the village or places and sends his message to them. Unlike the journalist, who will write down the information, take it to the media house to edit which might take a long period of time, handing it over for publication before distributing it to the people.

CONCLUSION
No matter the huge advantage that the modern media has over the African traditional media, the African traditional media of communication must continue to strive in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The reasons is, some part of Nigeria are still battling with high rate of illiteracy and poverty. As not everyone can afford to buy newspaper, radio, television, talk more of a computer. Since they can't read and write nor have the money to buy newspapers, radio, television or computer, they embrace the African mode of communication which is cheap and free to access. All in all, although the duo exist at different time, scope, mode, cost, aspect, process, speed e.t.c. but serve the same purpose of ensuring that information gets to those who need them. With this, I can now say that the Nigeria journalist of today and the town crier are children of the same purpose. Thanks.


REFERENCES

www.sundaytrust.com.ng/index.php/wakaman/25-sunday-trust-magazine/community-news-pyramid-trust/3771-people-now-see-town-crying-as-part-of-folklore-town-crier

Enwereonye discussed this topic at the National War Museum Umuahia, recently.

Source: The Guardian, 23rd February 2008.

www.igbofocus.co.uk/html/ndi_igbo_2.html