University of Nigeria Research Publications

ANIEROBI, Madubuegwu C.

Aut

hor

PG/MA/96/ 22464

Title

Nigeria Press Image An Assessment Of Public Opinion On News Papers Coverage

Of The Abacha Transportation To Civil Rule Programme

Facu

lty

Arts

Dep

artm

ent

Mass communication

Dat

e

November, 1998

Sign

atur

e

I , Madubuegwu Anierobi, a postgraduate student in the Department of Mass

Communication, with the Registration number of PG/MA/96/22467, have

satisfactorily completed the requirements for the course and research work for the

degree of Master of Arts (M.A.) in Public Relations and Advertising practices.

The work, as contained in this project, is. to the best of my knowledge,

original and has not been sub1nittt.d in pal-t o r l u l l for any other diploma or degree

01: this University or any other.

Prof. S.A. Ekwclie Supervisor

DEDICATION

'To all, horn into ihe great

UMUEREONWlJRE

F m i l y .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT$

I wish to acknowledge with tlxtnks 111c :~ssisl:rnco o f those without whorl1 I

would not have undurtakel~ this rcsearch. Many Ilands llclped lo make these pages,

and the degrees 01' contribution dil'fer. Acknowlcdge~nenLs lhemselves appear casual

and sav little about individuals whose crilicisrns. suggestions, ideas a~id other helps

brought this work into being. Those nienrio~ictl here hy no means exhaust the list

but, I just do not find i t easv t o record in I ' r l l l my intlcl~tetlness to benefactors.

Firsl, my in~nicnsc. ~ ~ ~ I ~ I ~ L I ~ c goes to 111y s~~pervisor, Professor S.A. Ekwelie,

who Iias 1101 only edited t l~e ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ u s c r i p ~ 1,111 Iias ;~lso given i t shape. My meetings

wit11 ~ l ~ i s great s c l ~ o l ; ~ ~ - c:;ir~~c.tl I I I ~ :I wu;11111 0 1 ' c x l w i c ~ ~ c e wl~icli I was ;rhle, in

~retrospcc~, lo distil ml cvalui~~c. I t mrlst Iw ~-en~;~r-kccl hcre that his supervision gave

[his work :I I I ;~Il-ro~liicl l : o~~ i~~~er l t l ;~ t io~ l . My ~ l ~ ~ l k s also go to my lecturer and Head

01' I > ~ ) ; I I I I I K : I I ~ , Dr. S . 0 . l d c ~ ~ ~ i l i , W I I O 1 ~ 1 s I - ~ I I I : I ~ I I ~ - ( ~ ;I sourcc 01. inspiration to me.

I a111 p;~l.~ic:rll;~l-ly gr-alcf~rl lo Mrs. N.T. Ot!ilipo lijr hcr wontlerlill assistance to me.

I (11-1.w iui~iiei~sely I'so111 rllc cxperiellcc 01' my C ~ ~ I S S I ~ ~ I ~ ~ S among wlmn were

Harn;il~s I 'lic illid Orlyuh I Jwakwe. 'I'heir criticisms helped t o sharpen the contents

ol' t h i s wt)l-li Also. I wish r o acknowlulge, wit11 clecp npprecialion, the good

rclat i t ~ ~ ~ s l ~ i p xnd wcolIr;~gerllcn~ I reccivecl t rom 111y l'ricliil I feyinwa Nwana.

v

I would consider my :~cknowlcdgement ~ncompletc: without a special mention

of the sacrifice of my brothers and sisters especially CHlBOGWU and SUNDAY

who played a leading fini~ncial pa 1-1 in m y \ I ruggle to :~ctli~ire befitting acaclcmic

qualilications. C)nyekwelu, PmI, Okonkwo. Ai!mo~-a, Ekwutosi and Ekene are my

olllcr Ijrothcrs arid sistcrs, lo wlloln 1 a111 h~glllv ~ ~ ~ c l u l ~ c . d .

Most irnporl;~nt, I x i 1 imnlenwly gra~cli~l to 111y mother, Ol~yedika, and

fatlier, Clhief Ilclcnwue Anierolli, fix heir 1no1;11 ancl financial support which has

h~~sta~nctl me to this height.

ABSTRACT

Through the perlhr~nance o f its role the press in Nigeria has earned itself a lot

of images. While some people appraise the press as responsible, others blame it for

subjectivity and selfish reporting.

This study is a re:idership rcsertrcli on thc image of the Nigerian press. The

researcher saw the Abacha political dispensation as an opportunity to carry out a

research on the image of the Nigerian press; to investigate whether or not

newspapers' coverage of the political transition affected the image of the press and

11' so t o what extent.

The objective is to determine the degree to which newspaper readers relied on

newspapers fiw intimnaticm on Ihc transition programme, ascertain the readers'

wessernent o f the perfor~nance o f the press and determine the implications of that

perlimnance on press image. .

111 carrying, out this research, the survey method of research was employed.

The work, therefore, is an opinion stlrvey 01' ncwsplrpcr readers which was done

through the instrument of a questionnaire. In all, two hundred (200) newspaper

vii

readers were drawl-! from the University of Nigeria as the sample. The data were

interpretctl and analysed into simple perccrltages and t'requency distribution tables.

The study is meant to scrvc as ;i ti.eclhack I'rom which media practitioners can

feel the pulse of the renclcrs and help develop strategies to enhance press image. It

may contrihutc to the exislins rchsc.arcll ant1 l l~~ t s co~~stili~tc a rekrencc matel-id.

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLEPAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

. . CERTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

... DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ABSTRACT vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

CMAITER ONE: INTRODLJC1TION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . I Background of thc Stiicly I

1.2 Statement of Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Ob-jective of' Study 9

1.4 Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1.5 Scope and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6 Significance o f Study 10

1.7 Theoretical Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1.8 Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

I X

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVTEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER TIIREE: RESEARCH METHODOI..OGY 23

3.1 Method o f Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3.2 I'olwlario~l ol' Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

3 .3 Samplc and Sampling Proccdur-c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

3.4 Method ot' Data C'ollection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3.5 Method of Ilata Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

CHAPTER F01JR: DATA PRESENTATION A N D ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . . . . CHAPTER FIVE: CON('1, TJSION A N D IZECOMMENDATION 40

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REFERENCES 45

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Political reporting presents the press with a great test. Scholars have taken

dim views of the Nigerian press and have come out with the conclusion that the

image of the press is battered. Readers have noted with dismay the poor

performance of the Nigerian press.

Dare (1985) lamented the woeful performance of the Nigerian press and

Mohammed (1987) with Haruna (1988) derided the press as irresponsible and

polluted. Fagbourngbe (1994) stated that the month of June, 1993, was a period

when the image of the press was "thoroughly" tested, delicately exposed and

wickedly battered.

The Abacha political dispensation created the press with a test of credibility.

From the state assembly elections, national assembly primaries to the Abacha-for-

President campaign, how did the press fare? What were the readers' views'?

Democracy, like all human interactions and relationships, must not be taken

for granted. It must he nurtured and sustained. The establishment, growth and

sustenance of democracy with its complement of protection of human rights have > I

?.

3

The role of the press in any society, especially in a complex society such as

Nigeria, is very important. For the iniage created by the press can either be useful

or detrimental to taking public decision ;~nd the maintenance of social values.

As newsmen select and display news, h e y play iunportant roles in structuring

the world for their audiences. What an indiviclui~l newsman selects is inllueiiced by

Iiis per-ception of reality. If this perception clocs not represent his reality, lie will

present "a distorted image o f Ihc world whicli I I I : ~ ~ contribute to inappropriate

decisions and politics" (Purerson, 1070).

Olimagoro (1083:IJ) ~lotcd Ilial ";\I all times, tile press has the responsibility to

4

1787. That year, Thomas Jefferson, one of the great minds on press freedom, made

the following assertion:

... the way to prevent these irregular interposition of the people is to give them full i1lli)nnation of their affair through the channels of public paper ... the basis of our government being the opinion 01' the people, the very first object should be to keep that riglit. And were i t left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. (Agee et al, 1982:3).

Though Jefferson sounds hyperbolic, it was nevertheless his manner of

highlighting the inestimable and irreplaceable role of the press as an agent whose

The press exists primarily to communicate, that is to say, that it plays the

cardinal roles of informing, interpreting, educating and entertaining in the society.

These functions find support in the 1,asswellian helief that "the press does

surveillance of the e~wironnlen~, correlatior~ of the components of society and

transmission of social heritage from one generation to the next."

In 1003, Siehert and otlicrs nloclit'ied the l,asswcllian paradigm. It was their

research that yielded the social responsibility theory or model. According to them,

5

for the press to he considered responsible and useful, it must perform the following

, - functions:

1.

. . 11.

. . . 111.

iv.

v.

v i.

serving the political system by providing information, discussion and debate

on public affairs;

enlightening the public so as to make it capable of self-government;

safe-guarding the rights of the individual by serving as a watchdog against

government;

servicing the economic systems, primarily hy bringing together the buyers and

sellers of goods and services through the medium of advertising;

providing e~itertainment; and

maintaining its own financial self-sufficiency so as to be free from the

pressures of special interests.

Arlcfitional rolcs have been assigned to the press in different places and times.

For ir!stance, Llic H~~tcliiris Commission o n freetlnrn o f the press identified the

require~nen~s and expcct;t~ions of a I'rw arid rcsponsihle press as:

1. [lie presenlation ol' ~rr~thful, comprcllensive slid intelligent accounts of the

day's events in a context which gives them meaning;

- - 11. the provision o f a l imm l ijr the exchange of comment and criticism;

6

the projection of a representative picture of the constituent groups in the

society;

the presentation and clarification of the goals and values of the society; and

the provision of full access to the day's intelligence.

Whatever the opinions of the ahove scholars, the fact remains that the press

is one 01' the most powerful educational instru~nents in society.

Journalism in the forni we know it in Nigeria started with the production of

Iwe Irohin in 1859. Though a religious paper, it has historical relevance as the pace

setter for the Nigerian press. Coker (I979 agreed that "subsequent newspapers, to

a great extent drew inspiration from Iwe Irohin. "

The press has been a vital instrument of political engineering in Nigeria. This

dates back to the days of coloni;d administration. The challenge of transforming the

press into an instrrrment t i l l - the struggle, through mass sensitization, was taken up

by Nigerian nationalists such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, the brain behind the West African

Pi101 .

The nation:dist press "wrote powerful editorials and seditious articles that

caused the colonialists sleepless nights" (Odunewu, 1987). According to Okonkwor

( l976:4), "prior to independence, !lie Nigerian press constituted a strange and

veritable vanguard and boldly criticized the ohnoxious policies of the colonial regime.

The nationalist agitations of newspapers made a great impact and brought about

radical reforms that metamorphosed into independence. "

From 1060 - 1979, the Nigerian press was a n insrrument for nation-building.

The press of that period won for itself an admiration which made it popular. The

partis;111 posture OF tod;iy3s Nigerian press starred with the lifting of the ban on party

politics in 1079. Thc sccond rep~rblic ftxrtirretl a total deviation from the original

ob.jeclives of the Nigerian press. Apart frorn the abuse of the profession by

individuals who had no 1-imnal education ;trid training, the magnitude of unethical

practjcc hy sonlo ,jou~-nalists altraclcd public colicern. The third republic witnessed

putscll, i t pron~iserl 1 0 rctrr r-n power to civili;rrls. For th;it reason, a constitutional

conlkrewc was co~ivu~led. In aclclirion, an claboratc transition time-table was drawn

anti v;~rior~s ilernocra~ic slrucrilres put in place to facilitate the process. The climax

01' the process would have h e m reached hy October I , 1998.

'I'llc I ' x t that a free and irltleperidcnt press facilitates the democratic process

is a11 ;~ccepkcl assertion. In the Nigerian context, assessing the performance of the

8

press from one perspective can be a herculean task. This is because while some

people appraise the press as courageous ancl responsible, others blame it for grave I

subjectivity and selfish reporting.

Wl~ether the perl'omance 01' the Nigerian press in the coverage of the

Abaclia's transition Lo civil-rule progralnme could be given a passing or failing grade

will bc dererminrd by thc opinions t o be sampled through this research.

1.2 State~iient of Prohlem

' I I c transition t o civil-n~lc u~ t l e r the Abaclia's regime provided the public with

an opporhmity to assess rhc per1i)rrnance o f Ihc press. Through the performance of

its rdo , the press in Nigcria has rarnecl itself' a l o t of images. I t had been accused

of ~llc abrw ot' pd)lic conl'irle~lcc. This h:rs ;rl'fectod its image.

The image prohlcn~ is what inbrcsts this researcher. The essence of this

study, 'lharel.ol.c, is 1 inveslig;lte whctller or not wwspapcrs' coverage of the

Ahacha's transition In civil-n~le progra~nnw al'l'ected the image of the Nigerian press

and i f s o to wli:r~ exlonl

1.3 Objective of Study

Black and Champinn (1976:IOFi) stated that:

11' a researcher has too many research objectives, he may encounter great difficulty in trying to tie together a lot of loose ends. Tor, many research objectives also necessitate a more complex theoretical scheme.

This rewucher has, therefore, restricted his objectives to a controllable

number. I?is objective is to cieterniinc the degree Lo which newspaper readers relied

on Nigerian ncwsppers for inlimnation during the Abacha's transition to civil-rule

programme, :rscert;iin the readers' views on press perfi~rmance and determine the

i ~ ~ ~ p l i c ; ~ t i o ~ ~ s 01. I I~:II pcrIi)r~n:~iic~* O I I its itnap..

Kcseilw h Qucsl ions

'rhe t'ollowirl)~ rcseitr-cli qr~es~iorls fornwtl the Ixlsis for the study:

To what tlcgtcc tlicl nuwsppcr- reatlcrs i n Nigeria rely o n newspapers for

ii\limni\tic~lr on the Alwcha's triwsition 1 0 civil-rule programme'?

How di(l tlw newspaper readers perceive Ihe performance of the Nigerian press

based on irs ~.overag,c of ~ l lc Alxlcl~a's tr.;~nsilion to civil-rule programme?

To whar cx~unt did the pcr1hrm;tnce ol' the Nigcrian press in its coverage of

[he Ahncli;~'~ I rmsilion to civil-rule prop7rirrnme affect its image'?

10

1.5 Scope and Limitations

This research is restricted to the imape of the Nigerian press during the

Ahncha's transition to civil-rule period. Here the press refers to newspapers only.

The work studied students, the nnn-academic and academic staff of the Nsukka

Campus of the CJniversity o f Nigeria.

A s t~~t ly 01' this nature cannot be clone without limir~tions. The problems

enco~~~wrec l hy the researcher included inidequate tinance, time constraint,

d i ~ ~ ( ~ s i t i o n of respondents as well iIS the varinw difficulties associated with a survey

Every orgaliisetl study aims at solving a specific hulnan problem. The world

over, the press is recognisetl as a vital i~istrunienl for nation-builclilig. The Nigerian

prcss tliougl~ sin-lilarly xknowletlgctl, seems, however, to be perceived negatively by

SOIIK news C O I I S I I I I I C ~ S . A S ~ L I C I Y 01' L I I U perIi)r111;111ce 01' the Nigerian press based on

j~rogr;~~imc' and t l~c c x ~ c ~ ~ t to which h i s al'l'cc~ed its image must, therefore, be of

signil'icance. First. it will provide the press wilh information on how to create and

11

susr;~in a credible image in onler t o earn public confidence. It is hoped, too, that it

will add 10 the likraturc and perhaps provide it frcsh hasis for further studies.

Black and Champion (1976) remarked that:

Every organised study must be rooted in a sound theoretical premise. This is necessary because principles and theories furnish the structural framework of any study.

This research, tllerehre, rests on the "social responsibility theory. " Hutchins

( 1 974) ohservecl [hat the "social responsi hilily tl~eory i~nposes on the journalist certain

ohlig;~tions based on time-tesled social values which should guide his editorial duties."

'l'llis k o r y was prop011 nclcd with a view \o checking excesses from unfettered

conimunicahn and make media operators inore responsive to the coinmunicahn

needs of socicly .

Irnuge: IJ gboaja ( 1080) remarked LhriL:

Every institution has a unique identity that is mainpained t l~ro~ig ln~t t its existence such i l i n ~ ihc public identifies the institution itccording to what i t does or hils lo do. In

other words, an institution's image is the sum total of the myriad of impressions that create the public opinion of it.

Based o n this definition, thc term "image" as used in this research refers to an

institution's icht i ty . 'The imiigc ol' the Nigcrisn press, therefore, refers to the

impression which the newspaper readers I~ave about their newspapers as a credible

source o f political information based on their reportage on the Abacha's transition to

civil-rule programme and the i~nplications of such ;in impression on the press.

Pr~hlic Opinion:

'This rel'crs lo the clo~ninarlt opinions ; I I K ~ views expressed by a majority of

people who rend twwspapurs' rcports o ~ i the Ahacha's iransition to civil-rule

programme.

'Transition:

111 this research, transition refers to the process of returning power to civilians.

13

CHAPTER TWO

1,ITERATURE REVIEW

The issues of press image and role have attracted much literature from both

local and international scholars. This chrtptcr is, therefore, a review of some of these

works. The work is diviclecl into two segments. ' of

the Nigerian press while the second segment is on L1lL LJ1 plGJJ 111 JUCIICLY.

Image of the Nigerian Press

The extent to which positive image will he acquired by the press often depends

or) 1l3c judicious coverage o f events by thc press. 11' there are distortions of

information by the press, a natural follow-up wo111d he distortions in the minds of the

readers. For the public, as a whole, base their opinions and attitudes on the image

derived fro111 the press.

In Nigeria, as in other parts OF the world, decisions could be based on the

intelligknce gathered from the press. In other words, political, economic, industrial,

comrnerciul and organizationd decisions could he based on information from the

press. To infer, therefore, what image is created o f the press, one has to provide an

index o f the extent to which the editorials gave favourable, neutral or unfivourable

treatment to issues. Deliberate attempts to mislead readers in the form of news

distortions are likely to produce in-judicious decisions

Emery a (1966) remarked that unethical postures of reporters will not only

produce i~~juclicious decisions but would also give the press a negative image. They

I-egrcttcci that "against public interest, some communicators bow readily to the

prussurcs of husiricss and socid groups. Somc ol' them, more concerned with profit

tliari elhics, resort lo serlsationnlisrn and intentional twisting o f [lie truth in print."

A writer orice noted the following ;~spc~c~s ol' the press in Nigeria. To most

pcoplc. he silicl, the term "press" brings to rili~~d ~icgi\tive i11i;~gcs. At hcst tlwy view

it as :\ 1lcccss;iry evil; ;rt worsr as a sy~lonym 101. "wl~ccling and clcirling", o r deceit.

Nwahucze ( 1994) corrohorr~ted this when he ciletl that the political crisis of

1993 Il;d exposcd [he press in Nigeria for w l ~ t it rc:~lly is: n tribal press concerned

with ethnic interest and luss al~oul truth and objectivity that sholrld he the hall mark

01' a i'ree pr-ess in ;I cle~nocracy. 'The crisis, accortling to him, shows the abuse or

misuse of the enormous power ol'the press as one o f tire worst evils i n the Nigerian

polity, only slightly less evil than the ahuse or misuse or state power by the rulers.

?.. He summed that "as if the abanclollment of all appearalices of objectivity was not bad

entnrgli in itself, the press, in prt!jecting ;111d promoting their different partisan

15

posi~ions li,r or against reins~atement, engaged hemse elves with undue zest, not in the

dissemination of news and information hut in lie peddling or propaganda, deliberate

hlsehoocl, vulgar abuse and vilification."

Atni~cheaxi ( 1991 ) posikd that llie clclilnct second republic has gone down in

our political history as a pcriocl during which Ll~c press ilidulged in an unprecedented

sycopha~~tic tom liwlery , ycllow journalism, sensationalism, inaccurate reporling and

other uriprofessional ~~isdenieanour. Consequently, they not only cheapened the time

I~onouretl journalistic profession but also hastardiscd their personali~ies. Said he, "the

cluestio~i that readily conies to mind about the press in Nigeria, is: Have the

According lo Okoye (IOOC)), "Lhc cornorate i m a ~ e ol' the Nivcrian nress has

heen rlwled by some Nigrrian journalists ;

perforni;inue in Nigeria is predicated upo

16

indcpendenl prcss council, with the full powers to inject sanity in newspaper

7

publishirlg.

Ackn~wledgi~o thc. nnnr-imqtre r t - ~ t t ~ c ni' thc. Nigerian press, Mohammed

(1004) stated that wl guvernment are exposed, their

I~OIII~- I ) I ISL '~ press C J L ~ C I I U WULU LIICY AIIUW I I W I I H ~ about, simply because this is

Nigeria. He notcd that the year 1993 was particularly hectic in the history of the

Nigerian press hecause it was the year when tlie press was exposed as being

cliaracrcrizcd by spineless jol~rn:rlists, ermncl-hoys and general unethical journalists.

0soh;l ( 1085) ,e o f the Nigerian press

cli~rillg thc second repitbllc ancl obscrvccl t l ~ t t llie N~gerlan press at that time lacked

halarlctxl ~ e w s reporting. According to him, as the most vital link t o the edilor, one

woirltl h a w cxpected from reporters a totd comniitment to the ethics of a ~ioble

proi'ession. I>isappointetlly, they distortc their politiul Lords and

iiih~rmation to their editors for publication. He co~~cluded that the

, Nigerian journalists during the second renublic indeed soiled the

inugc of the Nigerian press.

I n his study on !he Nigerian press perforn~ance in national develop~nent,

Nwari kwt 1 ( I 00 1 ) olwrvecl that the Nigeria press cot~lcl not contribute meani ligfully

:d news items to suit

17

to the &usade for social cniancipation because of its partisan-role orientation. He

accused thc Nigeria press ol'being guilty of inser~sitivity to the yearning of the public

1111-OLE~II Cfeliberi~te dissemination of F~lsellood and over-dramatization of certain

events.

1)s a rded

i s a o I r I S g o o I I . A C C O T C I I I I ~ 10 nlm, me poor qua~~ties of

s o t w wwspapcrs, coupled with bias presentaliou o f news are some of the major

causes o f rhe poor-image stalus of [lie Nigcrian prcss."

('ornmenling on the press coverage 02' the Abacha's transition to civil-rule

~ I - O ~ I - ~ ~ I ~ I I I I C , L>;III-AII~C'Y ( 1008) Iw~~o;ilied h e Nigcrian press reportage o n the issues

arising 11- or^ t l~c ~ m m i t i o n programme, particularly the five million man-march that -

took place i l l 1,;qos. As he succinctly put i t "by denying that the rally was popular

Imme seellw to validate the s~~brnissions of these scholars. I t confirms, in the

vein, rllc Sel'fersonirin thesis that "a suppression uf the press could not inore

18

to hlsehood. Nothing can nc)w be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth

itself hecomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle."

During that period, the press was seen to have been divided between those

opposing and those supporting the activities of' the government.

l'hc irliagt: o f I I W press and its perception by the public are retlective of its role

in society. 'I'lle clegrce t o which this role is creditably perfi)rmed inlluences the

cation scliolars have

since World irious networks that

1:xpct-ts Ilavc a t ~ ~ I ' I ' L ' I - C I I ! times cxpressccl tlil'fkre~it opinions on the role of the

press in socicty. Ekwelic (1985:27) ~lotucl that the role 01' the press the world over

is quite clcar. According to him, "i i l l l~o~~gl~ every nation - representative or

dictatorial o f govern~nenl - uses the prcss thc way i~ sees Fit, the basic function of the

prcss has Iwen o w of clisscnlirralirig inli)nnt~ticw. " A tlow of information is essential

to [he conclucl ol'tleniocralic aftiirs because the ~)uhIic cmnot riglrtly decide how well

I9

they shnuld be governed i t ' thcv do not !law a clear picture of the issues (acing their

21

IJton~i (1998) stressed that the press has a duty to educate the people and, to ,-

do so hasecl on truth and hirness. According to him, the press must be on the track

of :I massive education o f the people on their rights and duties as citizens; on social

accoulitir~g that will act as a check on wh:~t public officers do; and on the values of

voluntary associations that contest the puhlic domain with the state.

Atlcnaike (1989) contended tliat the press needs to present facts the way they

happened instwd 01' embellishing such Ii~cts to suit the interest of journalists. By

doing this, rllc press will only succeed in misiriforming and misdirecting the people.

Hc pointctl out that tlle press clues 11ot elljoy nil intrinsic power of its own. Whatever

power i t crijoys is based on public opinion a t ~ l patronage. If the puhlic loses faith

,- in tlic press, i 1, such was the fate of the

federal-gavel-I 73 from loss of credibility.

generality of the people 10 discerti fact from fiction, truth from falsehood in the

rn~~ltitudc ol' prornises thiit ccnne cascading I'roli~ the political soap box.

Oduncwu ( 1087) noted that the press constitrltes a social and cultural influence

in helping to form attitudes, to establish valr~es and t o develop a clirnate lilt- change.

Said he, "the press is the conduit pipe for the tlow uf ideas and information from the

leacle'rs to the people and the people to the leaders. "

Mcndelsohn (

Through tho editoria

CHAPTER THREE

3.1 Method of Study

'I'lie survey research ~netilorl was used i n this studv

( 1987: I X O ) , "surw

According to Osuala

opulations by selecting

and sli~rly ing samples cnosen 1rc111i [lie pc~pu~;~uon to uiscover the relative incidence,

distribution

' This

j~~clgemental

and interrelations of sociolngical and psychological variables."

s l ~ ~ d y is a readership research on press image. Since images involve

valws, att i tudcs a t ~ f perceptinns, survcy research method was employed

o r I i s I I . Survey was used hecause past reuemhes have proved it an excellent

Ineans 01 ' measuring at titrrdes a~lcl perceptions in ;I large population. Tuck~nau ( 1978)

noted 111;11 " s~~rvey research is wiclely ~ ~ s e t l to obtain tile opinions and altitudes of

as to study social slructures."

to I<crli~~ger (1973), survey research permits the use of

I instrunlent of tiat3 ~ollection which is administered randomly to

a sir~llple of rcsponcients to elicit answers rcl;~~ing to various perceptual and

24

3.2 I'opulation of Study

.. The population of study was the newspaper readers in the University of

Nigeria. Since this population is academic in nature, it is naturally more exposed to

newspapers.

(lanlpl~s. 'l'hc l tnivcr-sity of' Nigeria statistics (1997) states that "the present student

onrol~~lcr~r is 14.568. 'l'l~e iiat;b on slal'l' ( 1 W l ) show that "the stuFFstrength is 5,465.

ca~cgorics co~r~pr-ising I 0 0 s~~~r lcn l s , l u a r ~ s e they are the dominant pop~~lation, 60

3.4 Method of Data Collection

. 'The data were collected by the use o f tl questionnaire. The questionnaire

contrrit~ed questions framed tt) elicit the opinions of newspaper readers 011 the sub-ject

o f this research. 'Two hu~lclred copies of the questionnaire were administered to the

respor~clenls hy the researcher.

3.5 Mctliocl of Data Analysis

Siinple pcrcentages and frequeticy d i s l r i h u h ~ tables were used to present data.

cserirch questions were posed to guide

A total of 200 questionnaire copies were administered to the respondents who

were divided into three groups along their occupational lines. All the copies were

filled. returned and used. The data have been presented in tables and have also been

systematically .anal y sed t o ;~dd ress appropriate research questions.

Details of questionnaire distribution i l l ternis of respondents' sex and

occupation are sllown in t:thles I and 2.

Thc data revealed that 128 copies representing 64% of the questionnaire were

distributed to male while 72 copies or 34% were distributed 20 female. From Table

1, i t co~tlcl be seen that the. questionnaire were not distributed on equal basis. The

reason was because the researcher u

SISX

Male

Female

TOTAL

FRIZQIJI?NC:Y -

- 72

200

PRRCIENTAGE

t - 36

100

Table 2: OCCUP

I PROFESSION

Students

No11-Acadcmic Staff

I Academic Staff

TOTAL

iTIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS

NO OF 01 T E S T T ~ N N A TR F PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTED

'I'ablc 2 indicates t l ~ t 100 or 50% of the questionnaire were filled by students,

60 or 30% by nun-;~caclernic sta t't' whilc 40 or 20% were filled by the academic: staff.

'I'he tlistr-ihurion 01' the questionnaire was based 011 populaticm. The highest

nunlbel- 01' qucstior~~iairc went to t l ~ slrrrlenls becausc they are the dominant

population. All the I-espondenls were d r a w Irorn the IJniversity of Nigeria. Since

this population is acuclen~ic in nature, i t is ~ l a ~ u r ; ~ l l y more exposed to newspapers.

1 1 1 ordcr to cstahlish whether o r 11ot the respondents were exposed to

Ilcwspapers, during Lhe Abacha's 'political transition period, they wure asked in

quostion 3 01' the rlucslionnairc i f they did read newspapers' reports o n the Abacha's

transition to civil-rirle programme. The result is as reflected i l l Table 3.

Table 4 indicates that 192 representing 96 %I of the total respondents frequently

TABLE 4: FREQUENCY OF READERSHIP

read newspapers during the period under study.

CATEGORY

Regular readership

Occasional readership

TOTAL -

The finding on the degree of readers' reliance is ;IS reflected iri 'I'abie 5.

FREQUENCY

192

8

200

From table 5, it could be seen that 190 represenling 95% of the respondents

relied, to a great degree, whilc 10 or 5 %I relied, to a less degree, on newspapers for

information o n the Ahacha's transilion to civil-rule programme.

From the above tables and analyses, we could infer that the newspaper is a

poteril ~nedium of information acquisition as mqjority (190 representing 95%) of the

PERCENTAGE

96

4

1 00

TABLE 5: DEGREE OF READERS' KEIJANCE

respondents indicated ~ l i a t they relied, t o ;t great degree on newspapers for

information o n the Ahadla's transition to civil-I-ule programme.

-

CATEGORY

Great degree

Less degree

TOTAL

FREQUENCY ---

1

10

200

PERCENTAGE

9 5

5

100

--

bas

res

its

i 1s

cluest'ion 7 o f the question~laire was used. The finding is as presented in table 7.

Entertainment

TOT A 1 . t

:TED ROIX(S)

IW3QUISNCY P --

PERCENTAGE

l"1.0111 Ti~l>le 7, i~ ~oi11t1 he scen that 68 r-cspontlents rcpresenling 34% iil~clicated

the rleglcct ol' the mass mohi l iza ~~OIII~ICIVOC~IL~ of the masses role 01' the press.

A I I O I ~ C I - 3-1 o r 22% said tlial the press neglected i1~l'or1nationIetl11catio1~ role, 10 or

5% indic;~f~'A ii ~leglt'ct of the advertisc~nent I-OIC while entertainment option polled

34 0 1 - 17%

'I'lit: respondents were ;iskt.rl i n Queslion 8 to identiiy the unethical pracrice

wl~iuli 11ic prc-ss Ilacl 1w.m ir~volvetl in. Tile rcsult is as contained in t i \h l~ 8 .

'Tahlct X shows that 30 respondents representing 15% indicated that the press

TABLE 8: DISTRIINJ'I'ION OF UNETHICAL PRACTICES OF THE PRESS

was involvccl in hrihery. Allother 12 or 6% said ~llat tlic press was partisans, 66 or

3.3% i~ltlic;~tc.cl t l u t Ilic press ir~dirlg,ccl i r l thu ; ~ c ~ s of sycrq~hancy while 48 o r 24% of

the r-espontli~rlts indicated sens;itionalism.

-- RESPONSE FRFOT JFNrY -

- ~ > V L \ I l P l t r l l l L V

L f.

- - - <

- - l \ J l i ' l l . 1 . )11 ---

F~~rllicrn~ore, t l~c responrlcnts were asked how they perceived the Nigerian

press' per!i,rmnnce based on its reportage o n the Abaclla's transition to civil-rule

programriw. Tlw I-esult is as shown in talde 9.

PERCENTAGE

IS

6

33 - -

78

MSTRIBUTTON OF RESPONDENTS WRFONMANCE

I FREQUENCY

34

I' ASSESSEMENT OF PRESS

I PERCENTAGE 1

its exccllu~it, 42 o r 2 1 % saw h e performance as good while 140 or 70% saw the

poor.

From the foregoing, it c o ~ ~ l d he seen that the perception o f the public of the

perli)rin:~nce o f tbc press was not very ampl i~ t~en l ;~ ry . 111 onlcr words, the public

had a nugative perception o f the Nigerian press.

For instance, in r;~l,le h while 44 or 22% o f thc responcle~lls agreed ll1ut the

pmss performed its cxpec~cd roles, 156 represcllti~~y 78% disi~grocd. The finding in

table 7 showed that the n x ~ s mobilization ant1 infornia t ic~n/ed~~c:~l io~~ roles, which are

believed t o be t 1 x ~najor roles of the press were the most i~eglected.

3 5

Furthermore in table 9, it could be seen that as many as 140 respondents

representing 70% perceived the performance of the press as poor.

To wlwt extent did the pertimnonce of tlie Nigeria11 press in its coverage of

the Abaclilt's tr;~nsilion Lo civil-rule programme affect its image?

This cluestiori was desigr~ecl to determine tire implications of press coverage of

tlie Abacha's transitiorl 10 civil-rule programme on press image. For this reason, it

(I,) w11icI1 ; I I . C ; I ~ 01' r c l m l;\wb scored highest ;1nd lowcst in aftkcling press image,

From 'I'ahlt. 10, i t cot~ltl he seen I l u t all the responde~~ts agreed that tile image

'I'A IS1,IC 10: I)ISrI'RIBU'I'I0N 011' EFFEC'I' ON PRESS IMAGE

RESPONSE

Affected

Not ;~l'li.ctutl

TOTAI,

FREQUENCY

200

- 200

PERCENTAGE

100

-

1 00

37

TABLE 11: RANKING OF AREAS OF NEWS COVERAGE ---- RESPONSE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

, ...... \ A .,.............. , : . r ..,.., I &I,.. n

stories

Most ncwspapers published i ~ n a p w - y storics

.----- -- \/lost ntmwspapers did not report . .

Icnts ;IS they happened

-

92 responses, li~llowed hy the failure ot' ncwspapers to report events as they

happened, 75 responses and failure of newspapers to report opposing views, 23

responseh. 'I'lic: irwuslig:~lion ot stories and corlsider;~tio~i 01' the implications of

stories 1311 hli<lwtl ranked lowest with h and 4 responses respectively.

12uspondt:nls were ;~lso asked 10 itlelltil'y tho exlent oP effect which press

cover;lge o f tlw Al~;~clia's t rnnsil i o n to civi I-rulc progranlnle had o n i ts image. The

remit is ;is contnincd in tal~le 12.

FREQUENCY

'I'ahle 12 shows that 198 or- 99% of' the respondents indicated that the coverage

of the Ahacha's ~rarisition to civil-rule progmmrne affected the image of the press to

a great extent.

Fi~rtherrnore, in Q~~ttc;tio~i 13, the rcsl)onrlenrs were asked to indicate the

direction of the effect on press image. The result is as shown il l table 13.

TABLE 12: EXTENT OF EFFECT

'TAI31,E 13: I)IKECrTION 0 1 ; EFFECT

RESPONSE

Great extent

'1'U I'AL

RESPONSE PERCENTAGE I

-

From T;~hlt. 13. i t c.o~~lil be seen that almost all the respondents (194 ,

representing 97%) inclicille )ur;~ble.

2

200

tl iI1:1t the eR'cct was unfavc

- 1

ICK)

39

Based on our finclings as represented in the tables above, we can state that the

newsp;ipcr I-eaclers helievod that the newspapers' reportage on the transition

progrmlnw ;\l'l'uc~ed press image ro a great extent and that tho direction ot'effect was

40

CONCLUSION AND KECOMMENDATION

This study sought to determine the extent to which newspaper readers relied

newsnawrs for information. ascertain the readers views on nress nerl'cmnfince and 1 . . - . _ . . . ... . .. . _. .., --- - - - --. . -. -- - - . - -- - . - - - . . ., . . , - - - - ? - - - . . - - - - - - . - - - - - -

determine the implications of such performance or1 press image during the Abacha's

transition to civil-rule programme.

The data collected and analyzed based on the above showed that newspaper

readers relied to a greal degree on newspapers for information during the Abacha's

metliuni of politic;~l iuformation acquisition.

'I'he Abacha's transition to civil-rule programme provided a testy opportunity

for- the Nigerim press. Rexlers expected the press to rise up to the cl~allenges posed

by the transition programme by pt~hlishir~g autl~entic inlimlation. But contrary to

their expect;ltions, most o f the newspapers published con tlicting reports thereby

aggravating the sili~atinn. This did not portray the press as :r responsible social

institution.

The press makes its impact by the way i[ publishes its information. It is the <

press' abiliry or lack of' i t to manage effectively what it prints that determines its

4 1

charxter (image) and whether its role is commendable or condemnable. This is in

linc with the observations of Haskins and Miller (1984) that "where the press has a

cor~scicncc, Lherc is Ilopc; where it does not , i t ~nusl be viewed with distrust."

The dala also revealed that newspaper readers had negative perceptions of the

Nigerian press in its reportage on the transitiorl to civil-rule programme. This shows

that h e Nigerian press did not play its role according to the rules during the

Abacha's transition to civil-rule programme. This was actually confirmed by the

respondents a s they indicated that the press neglected its roles ;tnd involved itself in

SOIT

trut

42

Readers based their- evaluations o n the lapses they observed from the press

I;I-OIII these tir~tliligs i t coi~ltl he co~lcl~ltled rhnt the public opinion assesscnlent

of the PI.L'SS i l l its c-over;~ge ol' !he Abacha's transition to civil-rule prograrlrnw has

;I healhy reg;\rtl for the public interest

is

l y recommends that journalists sliould refrain from puhlishin

44

reliability, ob.jectivity and balanced coverage of issues and events which presumably

could enhance press image. Dare (1985) acknowledged this fact when he remarked

that newspapers "have to tell the truth, be oljective and honest so that people can

rely o r 1 whal they print. Ollly through this way can they have the image

colnrnensurate with their status."

'The libertarian concept o f the press as a "watchdog" on government, especially

in authoritaria11 slates as m m , is perceived by bureaucrats as a clestructivt: force. The

press is always expected not to abdicate this responsibility as to flirt with

irresponsible regimes. No press that cares fix its face could al'ford to be a

"waywnrcl" press.

45

REFERENCES

Cohen, I3.C. (1063), Press u r l d Foreign policy, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, p. 2 3 .

Dun-A~aiey, A. (1998), " ...... ..- .... .. -. . . ...... Guardian, Lagos: Guardian Newspapers Ltd, Monday, July 6.

Dare, 0. ( 1 98S), " 126 Years o f patchy Services," Guardian, Lagos: Guardiar Newspapers Ltd, Thursday, January 3 .

Il~vison, P. ( 1005), "'rile Role of Cwnrnu~licatiun in I)emocracies," London I~ztenirnrionc~l Pniiricnl Conrmr~tzicl-lting, Praeger Publishers.

-.lL....u,. .. ua.w,. ., A r ~ c s A ~ L ~ L ~ ~ t t ~ ~ ~ c t ~ ~ c ~ u t c t r r c r r s i 7 ' 5 ~ 8 r.cs- J R u w w n WJ L \ C U C & L I L ~ ,

Enugu: Fourth Dimemion Publishing Co. Lid.

Faghoumgbe, D. (1W4). "Elhnic Sorrrnalism in Nigeria," Daily Champion, Lagos: C't1:rmpioli Newspapers I - l i t . , Urt.clnesdi\y, i.+kriiary 3.

Hahle, A . ( 1 W.?), "'l'hc Mass Mediii Ri)le in the 'l'hircl World" in Martin I. John and Chantlary ( ;rcwcr (ecl) (i)v~plltrr-clfivr Mms Mediit Systems, New York: L ~ ~ C I I ~ I I Inc.

I I ;LIXIU, Y. ( I O H H ) , "I'I.CSS i111i1 I'olili~s ill Nieeria: A ICeconstruction of Existing Tlieor-ius arid

L> C

rJr:tctices," Seminar Paper, J a n . 12.

Irr M I1 OH41 "Thr F l l iv .~ ill' R:uI Nrwc: :~ncl Gnnri NPWC nn : I-Ii~skins, J . anti Mil.,. , .... ,. .. .,, ... - .-..--. .. . .-..-. . .-... , c..... -.,-, . .-.." .,.. A

Newspaper's Image, " Jorrr~rtdisrn Qirtrrtrr-I)!.

Moha

mhs, M . ;tncl Shaw, D. ( 1 972), "The Agendwctting Function of Mass Media," Prrtdic. Opinion L ) I I ( I ~ I L ' I . / v , Val. 36.

clsohn. I I . ( IC3h3), "Socio-Psychological Perspectives on the Mass Media and public Anxiet~, " .lorrrntrlisrn QII(I~ILB~!)J, VoI. 40.

nrrned, 11. ( 1004), "Anothcr Ilnniriier on ~ I I C Press," N~.w.swcrtch, Vol. 26, No. 3, 1 , : I ~ ) s : NL'WSW~~CII C o ~ ~ ~ ~ l i i ~ ~ l i ~ a t i o ~ ~ s 1,id. February 14.

Nwabueze, B.O. (1994). "Role of the Press" in Nigeriil '93: The Po1ilic.d Crisis und Solutions, I hadan: spectrum Books Ltci, p. 125.

Nwankwo, A. (199l), "The Role of the Press in Nigeria's Development," Paper Presented to Mark the lC)91 Centre for Rural Development and Ch-operatives Lecture, University o f Nigeria, Nsukka.

Odunewu, A. (1987), "The observatory" il l Dokun Bojuwade (ed.) Jourr~ulisrn urzd Sociely, Ihadan: Evans Brothers (Nig.) Ltd.

Ofonagoro, W. (1083), "No State Media are the culprits," Nutional Corzcord, 'Tuesday, July 5.

Okonkcvnr, R. (1'37h), "Tile Prcss and Nigerian Nationalism: 1859 - 1960," M.A. Disserlalion si~bmitted to Ihc C;r;~duate School, LJniversitv of Minnesota.

M. ( 1 W O ) , "The Nigeri:~n Press i I ,.-.. /- 1 .... ..'...- ..... I AT..,: -.--

the 90s and Beyond" in Nwosu, I.E. (ed.) n ...... I r! -...-... r-,-.:..- n..tl:-.l- ..--

Osoha, S . / 1 O8S), " I'ress and Government, " Srtnrlny 'li'rnt~.~, May 19.

Osuala, E. ( 1 987). Ir~ln)cl~/crin)l to Rls?v~(rrrh Merhnddo~v , Onitsha; Africans-Fep Publishers Limited.

Pool, I . (lOh3). 'The Mass Media Poli~ics in the Mudernizatioli Process, in L,ucian W. Pye (erl) Cowtrnuriicwtio~z md Politic-trl Drveloprnrnr, Princeton: University Press.

Tuc kmu n, H . ( 1 97X), Conclrtrting Eilrttwriorrni K~sc!orrh, New York: H a r c o ~ ~ r t Brace Jovanovich.

Udoakah, in National Integration" in Callix IJdofia jed) A f m LUL J O I 4 l I l ~ l l I J ~ f L 111 r v r ~ ~ w ~ t i v o , A l ~ k : Tt~aba Publishers.

Usman, R . (1904), "Nigerian Press Coverage of National Crisis," Paper Presented at O!ta, op

unlverslty OT Nsukka.

1 arn a Postgraduate student ol' Mass Corn~i~unicatioii, University o f Nigeria. I am carrying out a research on the;

NIGI1:RIAN PRESS IMAGE: AN ASSESSEMENT OF PUBLIC OPINION O N NEWSPAPERS' COVICHA(;E OF Tl-IN ABACHA 'I'RANSI'rlON TO CLV1 IJ-RULC PI<OC;HAMME

me to collect of Arts Deg

1

demic purposes. The . . . - .

This research is purely for aca : queslionnaire items will enable data Ihr the research wh~ch IS a requirement for the award of a Master ree in Mass Cornmunicahi-I. ' h e information supplied will be treated wlln tlrnmst confidence.

please tick ( J ) ill h e box provicled against the answer that applies to you.

1 . Sex: Male ( ) Female ( )

2. Occupation: Student ( ) Non-academic staff ( ) Acacleniic slaP1' ( )

3. Did you r d nuwspqxr rcports on the Ahacha's transition 10 civil-rule programme?

How regularly did you read newspapers' coverage of the Abacha's transition to civil-rule pmgramme'!

(a) Very regularly ( ) (b) Occasionally ( )

I-low wor~ltl you r;ite your reliancc o n newspapers for in forri~ation during the Ab;~ch:l's transition to civil-

(a) Great tlegrw ( ) (,,, , )

Did yo11 sce [he 111-ess in Nigeria as pcrl'orming its expected roles during the Ahacl la 's transition lo civil-rule pr-ogrmme'? (a) Yes ( ) (h) No ( )

11' your- answer is 'No ' , which of thc roles did you think was neglectcd?

Please indicate based on your honest assessment:

1 0 . Whether or not the press coverage of the transition programme affected its i~nage?

(a) Afl'eclcd ( ) (b) Not affected ( )

11. Which areas of he reportage did you think scored highest or lowest in iil'l'ecting press image?

- ( a ) Mosl newspapers considered the implications of what they published.

(13) Most newspapers investigated their stories properly before pub1 islling

( ( 2 ) M o s ~ newspapers p~~hlished imaginary stories.

( t l ) Mo\l newspapers d ~ t l 1101 repor1 events as they happened

( a ) (irc;11 cslent ( ) ( I , ) Less exlcnl ( )