ANALYSIS OF THE NATION AND DAILY TRUST NEWSPAPERS COVERAGE OF POLITICAL DEFECTIONS IN NIGERIA
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Date
2017
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Global Business and Social Entrepreneurship (GBSE)
Abstract
We carried out a study on selected newspapers coverage of political defections in Nigeria in 2014.
The purpose of the study was to analyze how selected Nigerian newspapers frame stories on
political defections. Using framing theory, we purposively selected two newspapers; Daily Trust
and The Nation. We adopted qualitative content analysis as a method for the study. We
descriptively analyzed stories in terms of the pattern of frames and tone (positive, negative or
neutral). Findings show writers’ use of different frames in their stories and this vary and the pattern
of frames show elements of bias based on political affiliation. The study concluded that there is
apparent bias in most of the defection stories reported in The Nation while those carried in Daily
Trust are neutral. On the strength of findings, the study recommended among other things that
writers should avoid obvious framing of stories which reflect bias on the basis of their political
inclinations for the sake of an informed citizenry.
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Keywords
Bias, framing, newspaper, political defection, political party