This study set out to examines the role of media in public awareness creation on issues concerning waste disposal and management in Buea and Douala of the Southwest and Littoral regions of Cameroon. The study was supported by the Agenda Setting Theory (1972) by McCombs and Shaw, Knowledge Gap Theory (1970) by Philip Tichenor, George Donohue and Claire Olien, then Theory of Planned Behaviour/Reasoned Action. The research design used in this study is a survey design combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches in a concurrent triangulation mixed-method perspective. The probabilistically estimated sample size comprises of 415 community members involved in the study conveniently. As for other stakeholders, notably, community leaders, media houses, waste disposal companies and municipals councils, they were sampled purposively and conveniently. The study was stratified between French and English speaking Cameroon. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and an interview guide. Quantitative data were processed using Epidata 3.1 and analysed with the support of SPSS 21.0 while qualitative data from interviews were analysed using the process of thematic analysis. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient was very satisfactory, with a value of 0.922. This therefore implies that the items on the questionnaire were understood and answered to a satisfactory level of objectivity. Television was the most known channel (80.0%) and the least was billboards (27.0%) and this trend was the same in Buea and Douala IV municipality. Social medial was the most used medium to get information whereby 64.3% (281) used it very often, followed by internet 62.7% (274), television 51.5% (225), radio 23.1% (101) and newspapers at the fifth position 13.3% (58). Community radio, banners, notice board and HYSACAM magazine were mostly used by traditional leaders, waste disposal companies, and municipal councils in creating public awareness on issues concerning community responsibility on issues of waste management in Douala IV municipality while it was television and social media in Buea municipality. As for media houses, the most used media outlet was Television (73.1%) and journalists were generally of the opinion that media outlets have slots or provision in creating public awareness on waste management (88.5%). It was generally perceived by community members in both Buea and Douala IV municipalities that media have played a role in creating public awareness on issues concerning waste management with proportions of 74.8% (169) and 76.9% (336) respectively. Cumulatively, 70.1% perceived that media have contributed in raising public awareness on issues concerning waste management to a very large or large extent and this trend was almost the same between Buea and Douala IV municipality. The adequacy of this action was however nuanced as roughly the majority of 52.9% (231) perceived this awareness creation mechanism to be very adequate and this trend was the same in Buea and Douala IV municipalities. The main challenge was poor or no audience, that is people not interested in news related to waste management, environment, hygiene and sanitation. They suggested as response measure adequate sensitization and education of the communities on waste management; more attractive slots, programmes or mechanisms to gain the attention of people. From the findings, it can equally be recommended that social media, community radio and television should be further used to create awareness on issues concerning waste disposal and management.
Waste, disposal, management, media, awareness, public.
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