INFORMATION NEEDS AND INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF MEDIA PRACTITIONERS IN KARACHI
Munira, Nasreen · HEC National Digital Library · 2006
This study focuses attention on the information needs and information seeking behavior of the media practitioners (MPs) in Karachi. Information need is felt when an individual comes to know that his knowledge is not enough or is insufficient , When a user recognizes an information need, he consults an information system, library or interpersonal source for satisfaction of his need. These actions constitute his information seeking behavior. Media Practitioners (MPs) are the staff members of mass media i.e. radio, television and newspaper involved in professional activities. Objectives of the study are to explore and understand the nature of information needs of media practitioners in Karachi. A very formatted and empirical effort has been made: 1. to identify various types of information sources in use by the media practitioners in Karachi, 2. to examine how MPs learn to know about the existence of various information sources, 3. to explore the reasons and factors that motivate these media practitioners to seek and consume information. It is also carried out: 4. to find out various sources and information channels used by these media practitioners in Karachi. 5. To find out how these MPs use and disseminate information once they get it, 6. to suggest research based principles for improvement in the quality of acquisition and collection through libraries. Sample consists of 185 MPs selected randomly from four local media houses i.e. radio, television, and newspaper/news agencies. A questionnaire was developed as the instrument for data collection. Data were gathered through structured interview. For analysis of data, sampled participants were grouped into five categories i.e. 1. Complete Sample 2. Media house wise i.e. television, radio and newspapers/news agencies 3. Policy makers, policy executors and workers 4. Participants working in fields, on desks and those who work on both and 5. according to beats. Results obtained from this study indicate that reports of various organizations, government departments, NGOs and assignment committees, etc are the form of information that are used and sought most often. After the reports come original documents, tables and graphs etc. Most of the practitioners require selective information rather than exhaustive type. Feature writers, producers of research oriented programs and policy executors look for exhaustive information. For all groups of media practitioners, belonging to any type of mass communication, priority of information is very high. Internet is the channel, which is being used increasingly by media practitioners; however, practitioners working .in the fields use other library services more than Internet Quite surprisingly, the use of libraries among radio practitioners was found to be particularly low. Use of Internet among newspaper practitioners is high as compared to radio and T.V. practitioners. Majority of the practitioners require reference service but media house libraries seldom provide this service. Newspaper clipping service is also needed by all groups of practitioners. Library and Internet are the channels of information, which are mostly used by all group of practitioners. Most of the practitioners mentioned reading of book reviews published in newspapers to know the existence of an information source. All practitioners read periodicals regularly to keep themselves informed about current affairs and events. They collect information in libraries by asking the librarian or searching the shelves. They also consult colleagues to know whether needed information exists somewhere in some form. Generally, they go to a library, which is nearest to their office or home. Information seeking behavior of the practitioners involved in research based programs was found to be very distinct than others.