Exposure to “Abrahamic Mission” Television Program and its Influence on peoples’ Attitude towards Religious Tolerance in Nigeria (Published)
Drawing from series of literature on ethno-religious crisis and use of media in managing or encouraging ethno-religious and political crises in Nigeria, this study ventured into exposing the Nigerian citizens’ reaction to media attempt into inculcating religious tolerance as the attitude for a better Nigeria. The study which was based on an inter-religious tolerance media program adopted the use of survey and interview in studying 300 respondents sampled across the three religious groups in Anambra State using voluntary and purposive sampling techniques. The study was based on the social responsibility and social exchange theories of mass communication. Among the specific objectives of the study are to ascertain the respondents frequency of exposure, their perception of the program and whether their exposure to the program encouraged them to tolerate all other religions in the country. Findings revealed that the program does not command attitudinal change among the citizens because political leaders’ mode of power and resource distribution does not suggest that Nigeria is one. It was concluded that until the mass media learn to hold the government accountable, the country will forever remain in ethno-religious and political crises because of height of inequality of different magnitudes. The study therefore, recommended that there must be a sincere paradigm shift from the capitalist order of winner takes all to a liberal order embedded in true federalism anchored on ‘exclusive’ fairness to all irrespective of region or ethnic origin.
Keywords: Abrahamic mission, Ethno-religious, Perception, capitalist order, extremism, liberal order