Agenda-Setting Role of the Mass Media on Corruption and Insecurity: A Content Analysis of Three Nigerian Newspapers
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Date
2014-12
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College Press
Abstract
The issue of development has always been high on national agenda. And the mass media are incontrovertibly recognised for their significant role as precursor of information on all spheres of life. On account of this, the paper examines the role of the mass media in creating awareness and shaping people’s attitude concerning corruption and security challenges in Nigeria. It content-analyses three newspapers namely; Daily Trust, Nigerian Tribune and The Nation in terms of story type, prominence and sources of information on security issues. The researcher purposely selects the national newspapers on the strength of their pedigree covering the period of July and December, 2012. Findings of the 359 stories published in the 42 issues systematically selected reveal that the newspapers covered insecurity adequately. The study concludes that there is high-level prominence and regularity which individual newspapers devote to security concerns. It recommends among other things that the mass media should sustain their tempo of reportage with a view to influencing all stakeholders to explore avenues of halting the spate of corruption and insecurity which constitutes a clog in the wheels of national development.
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Keywords
Mass media, Corruption, Insecurity, Content analysis, Development, Underdevelopment, Agenda-Setting