ABSTRACT
This study examined the content analysis of COVID – 19 related nutrition and health information in a print media. This study aimed to analyze the reporting/transmission of COVID – 19 related nutrition and health information by Nigerian Newspapers during the COVID – 19 outbreak. Content analysis was used based on simple random sampling for newspaper coverage on coronavirus in Nigeria by The Punch and The Nation newspapers for the period of one month i.e. April, 2020. The findings revealed that Results from table 4.1: Covid-19 and nutrition related information in News Article revealed the covid-19 and nutrition related information in the news articles of selected newspapers. Results revealed that most of the information on the news article column on these papers were focused on COVID-19/statistics and related updates (41.8%) and information on palliative distribution across the country (44.5%). In table 4.2: Covid-19 and nutrition related information on the feature articles, Results from table 4.2 revealed that information/articles on enforcement of COVID-19 protocol (26.8%), COVID-19 and international relationship (7.3%), new wave/stain of COVID-19 (7.3%), covid-19 impact on finance (4.9%), media/communication (4.9%), health sector (4.9%) electricity (4.9%) dominated the features column. Enforcement of COVID – 19 agencies did their work well by ensuring that the protocols needed for the safety of people were implemented. Table 4.3: Covid-19 and nutrition related information in Editorials; Results on the Covid-19 and nutrition related information in Editorials. Most of the editorials were focused on COVID-19 and the health sector (22.2%) because of the need for everyone to be aware and that COVID – 19 is real. So much emphasise were put in place in educating the general masses about the COVID - 19, lockdown management (11.1%), palliative/food distribution modalities (14.8%) and government response to COVID-19 crisis (11.1%). From the previous studies, Nutrition recommendations from the ASPEN, Robert (2020), provided convincing evidence-based guidelines for critically ill patients. Malnutrition before and after diagnosis with COVID-19 remains the main focus of medical nutrition therapy when dealing with COVID-19 patients. In table 4.3: COVID-19 and nutrition related information in International News More than half (57.2%) of the information on international news segment were focused on COVID-19 statistics/cases. A good number of the articles provided information on covid-19 test/screening (8.6%), evacuation process (8.6%), global support/partnership to curb COVID-19 (8.6%). And shown in table 4.5. Results revealed that majority of the articles showed covid-19 palliative/vaccine funding and financing (42.5%), both federal and state government played a vital role in ensuring that palliatives/vaccines were shared in both local levels and federal levels, economic disruption due to COVID (45.6%) and firms/private sector observed negative influence due to the result of COVID-19, coping strategy during the lockdown (22.5%) in conclusion, Nigerian newspaper gave adequate coverage to coronavirus in Nigeria because the number of stories used reporting the issues were high. It recommended that the media should always continue to sensitize the general public on the negative effects of not adhering to safety measures against coronavirus in Nigeria.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
TITLE
PAGE i
COVER
PAGE ii
CERTIFICATION
iii
DEDICATION
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
TABLE
OF CONTENT vi
LIST
OF TABLES viii
ABSTRACT ix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 8
1.3 Objectives of the Study 11
1.4 Significance of the Study 12
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1 Introduction 14
2.2 Overview of Coronavirus 14
2.3 Coronavirus in Nigeria 15
2.4 Overview of the Print Media 17
2.4.1 Mass Media and Coronavirus 17
2.4.2 Print Media 21
2.4.3 Advantages
of Print Media 23
2.4.4 Drawbacks
of Print Media 24
2.5 Health Information Dissemination 25
2.6 Health
Information and Mass Media 27
2.7 The Need for Strategic Health Communication
in Nigeria 28
2.7.1 Dietary
Misconconceptions associated with COVID – 19 30
2.7.2 Effects
of Nutrition on COVID – 19 32
2.8
Theoretical Framework 33
2.8.1 Agenda Setting Theory 33
2.8.2 Framing Theory 34
2.8.3
Relevance of the Theory to the Study 37
2.9 Empirical Review 37
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Study
Design 46
3.2 Study
Location 46
3.3
Sampling/Sampling Procedure 47
3.4 Search
Strategy 48
3.5 Unit of
analysis and coding procedure 48
3.6 Intercoder
reliability 51
3.7 Data analysis 51
CHAPTER
FOUR
RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Covid-19 and nutrition related information in
News Article 52
4.2 Covid-19 and nutrition related information on
the feature articles 54
4.3 Covid-19
and nutrition related information in Editorials 56
4.4 COVID-19 and nutrition related information in
International News 58
4.5 COVID-19 and nutrition related information in
Advertisement/Business News 59
4.6 Overall
content analysis of covid-19 related nutrition information
in selected newspapers 61
CHAPTER
FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion 62
5.2 Recommendations 64
REFERENCES
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1 Content analysis of covid-19 and
nutrition related information
on the news article
column of selected newspapers 53
Table 4.2 Content analysis of covid-19 and
nutrition related information on
the feature article
column of selected newspapers 55
Table 4.3 Content analysis of covid-19 and
nutrition related information
on the editorials column
of selected newspapers 57
Table 4.4 Content analysis of covid-19 and
nutrition related information
on the International news
column of selected newspapers 58
Table 4.5.
Content analysis of covid-19 and nutrition related information
on the advert/business
news column of selected newspapers 60
Table 4.6 Overall content analysis of covid-19 related nutrition
information
on selected newspapers 61
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large
family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more
severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has
not been previously identified in humans (World Health Organization,
2019).
Coronaviruses are zoonotic,
meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV
was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to
humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not
yet infected humans (WHO, 2019). According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease
Control (2020), the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) appears to cause mild to severe
respiratory symptoms like cough, fever and breathing difficulties. From current
evidence about 98 persons out of 100 persons with the disease recover, and it
appears that death is not a common outcome, mostly in patients with underlying
health issues. The FMOH (2020) advised all Nigerians to take care of their
health and maintain hand and respiratory hygiene to protect selves and others,
including their families.
Nigeria joined Algeria, Egypt
and other countries in the African region for the case of COVID-19 following the confirmation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos - Nigeria by the
Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) on the 27th of February 2020, as a result of
return of an Italian citizen from Milan-Italy, there is an emergency towards
prevention, control and containment of the dreaded coronavirus disease that was
discovered to have emanated from Wuhan China (NCDC, 2020).
The outbreak of corona virus illness in Nigeria
was followed by disinformation and fear of death, prompting individuals to
engage in strange activities in the hope of avoiding the disease. On March 11,
2020, the Nigerian news media announced the first instance of Corona virus
illness in Nigeria. It arrived in the nation on an Italian American flight from
Italy to Lagos in March 2020. People ceased shaking hands as a welcome in
public meetings with huge numbers, such as Church conferences, revivals, and so
on. In churches, the format for receiving Holy Communion has also altered.
Personal things such as towels, toothbrushes, glasses, silverware, and hankies
were no longer shared. Healthcare professionals grew hesitant or stopped
treating patients with fever and other suspected corona-like signs and symptoms.
Some people were walking about wearing hand gloves and nose masks all the time,
and they had ceased doing anything that may conceivably function as a means of
transmission for the fatal illness. Hand cleaning with soap and water, as well
as the usage of hand sanitizer, became the norm, and everyone carried one with
them. Some personal behaviors appear to have decreased, with the notion that
the Corona virus may be transferred by bodily fluids such as sperm,
perspiration, saliva, and other secretions, the propensity to engage in
intimate conduct such as hugging, kissing, or sexual intercourse decreasing
considerably.
To prevent the infection from spreading
further, the Nigerian government launched public awareness and education
programs emphasizing proper hygiene and social distance. Temperature screening
was carried out at airports, and passengers returning from countries with a
high number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 were urged to isolate themselves. In
collaboration with state governments, the NCDC began tracking potential victims
and their contacts. The Lagos State government prohibited any meetings of more
than fifty individuals for four weeks on March 18, 2020, and ordered all lower
and medium level public officers to remain at home (Ewodage, 2020).
Similarly, on March 30, 2020, the Federal
government implemented various containment strategies such as closing national
borders and airspace, closing schools, worship centers, and other public
places, canceling mass gathering events, and putting the Federal Capital
Territory, Lagos, and Ogun states on lockdown for an initial fourteen-day
period (Radio Nigeria, 2020). Covid-19 testing facilities were established in
Lagos, Abuja, and Irrua, Edo State, while state governments established
isolation centers and imposed dawn to dusk curfews in their respective
jurisdictions.
The media has the ability to draw our
attention to certain concerns by creating agendas through the recurrence of
health crisis headlines. According to Cohen (1963), the media may not be
effective in telling their audience what to believe, but they are spectacularly
successful in telling them what to think about. Given the media's ability to
draw attention to a particular issue, the media has the potential to reawaken
people's awareness of what is going on around them.
The media's participation in the Corona virus
issue was not entirely unique when the virus was initially discovered. The
majority of the media has long overlooked the spread of the pandemic,
dismissing it as an issue affecting mainly foreign countries. The Corona
virus's onslaught on West Africa this year, on the other hand, has been the
deadliest type of infection ever documented. The illness has recently garnered
global attention as a result of high fatality rates reported in the media. The
news traveled fast and was accompanied by rumors and misinformation, most of
which caused panic and terror among the public (Sophia, 2020).
Doctors who have responded to the issue
describe it as "catastrophic" and "deteriorating everyday."
The Nation newspaper editorial on January 22, 2020 portrayed the sight of the
Corona virus illness as follows:
In order to safeguard travelers from the
Corona Virus pandemic that has ravaged certain nations in South East Asia, the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has encouraged passengers and other
airport users to follow all quarantine protocols at the country's airports.
Aside from the human cost, the
pandemic has damaged the economy of the afflicted nations, according to a World
Health Organization review of the crises. The advent of the Corona Virus
Disease (COVID-19) jeopardizes the country's growth in the health sector. An
already underutilized healthcare system has been overburdened and is now unable
to meet basic Corona and non-Corona medical needs; restrictions on movement
have hampered trade and caused price increases that the average Nigerian cannot
match, as he now lacks access to basic services such as food and water.
The
rise of Corona in Nigeria has piqued the interest of nearly all sectors in the
country. Although it got little attention or ignorance from the media at first,
the major epidemic in Nigeria compelled the media to call people's attention to
the urgent situation at hand, and nearly all newspapers reported on the Corona
virus sickness every day. Most newspapers ran it as a headline, front page
articles, inside and back page stories with graphics, and it appeared as many
times as possible in the print media. This demonstrates the issue's importance
and regularity, and most Corona virus news reports were not compensated for.
The problem is about life, and as such, it has a news value that is of human
interest. Another unspoken reason for the Corona virus's notoriety was that it
was what people needed to hear and understand. As a result, every print media
outlet will write in order to attract the target audience while still making
sales.
The
news media competed to see who could provide the most up-to-date information on
Corona virus disease. Ameyo Adedeyoh, a medical doctor who treated the index
patient, was among those killed in Nigeria. Several newspapers attempted to
report on the deadly nature of this disease in a media report on the nature of
the virus by using various styles of writing and pictograph. Clearly, case updates
and media representations of health issues have an impact on health beliefs,
behaviors, healthcare practices, and policy-making (Seale, 2002).
Not
only does modern society rely on mass communication, but the process itself
defines the nature of modern society, with more citizens relying on the media
for much of what they know. This statement is based on the fact that only the
media can make the Corona virus disease and other emerging health diseases
known. The media has a significant role to play in the aforementioned
conditions. Because the media is relied on to report accurate and trustworthy
information on current issues such as health, it is believed that the media
plays an important role. In the event of a public health emergency or natural
disaster, risk coverage is influenced by the importance journalists place on
it. The significance of an event or series of events is also a selling point
for newspapers. This is visible on the front pages of Aliagan newspapers
(2014).
In promoting the ethical value
of health communication, World Health Organization (WHO) states that access to information
is a basic right, and health for all is a priority throughout the world. The
combination of the two elements ‘health’ and ‘information’ from an ethical
point of view is more than the arithmetical sum of the two factors (Miranda et al, 2008). Mass media information on
health-related issues may induce changes in health services utilization, both
through planned campaigns and unplanned coverage. The current emphasis on
consumerism in the delivery of health care highlights the potentially important
role of mass media in increasing the public awareness of research findings and
promoting the utilization of effective and efficient health services (Grilli,
Ramsay and Minozzi, 2009).
Abone (2013) asserts that the
mass media are referred to as a key component of global strategy for
sustainable health issues. The media play vital role in every society as they
shape culture, influence politics, affect people’s attitude, play important
roles in health and business as well as affect the daily lives of millions.
This explains why Mustapha (2014), avers that without the media, it would be
impossible for health promoters and stakeholders to disseminate information as
well as monitor and coordinate the activities of the various countries on
health issues.
The press has a responsibility
of originating opinion on vital issues and the provision of information to
people to enable them make vital decisions that affect their lives. (Dzeble,
2006). The press play significant role in shaping society’s perception and
opinion on societal issues. They are one of the major avenues through which
people depend on for social, political and economic news. As Lipmann (2000),
quoted by Eklu (2004) rightly pointed out, “it is very difficult to know
everything through direct experience but we largely depend on pictures in our
heads, which are conveyed to us by the news media, to get information.
Events, social problems, people or facts become
significant only as a result of media coverage (Paimre and Harro-Loit, 2011).
It is for this reason that newspapers, since their inception, have been
regarded as the mirror of society, reflecting the images of societal
happenings. Indeed, much of our knowledge on issues relating to politics,
economics and society in general is made possible through newspapers.
Consequently, the ways in which newspapers choose to cover social issues can
have important ramifications, influencing how individuals in society perceive
those issues and their response to them (Dzeble, 2006).
Modern society does not only
depend upon mass communication, but the process itself defines the nature of
mass society where more citizens will depend on the media for much of what they
know. This is because (the coronavirus disease and other) emerging health
diseases can only be made known by the media. Since the media is relied on for
the reportage of accurate and trustable information on topical issues like on
health related matters, it is believed that the mass media has important roles
to play in the dissemination of accurate health and nutrition related COVID –
19 information. In the event of a public health emergency or a natural
disaster, coverage of risk is influenced by the level of importance journalists
give to it. The importance of an event or occurrences is also a selling point
for newspapers. This is seen on the front pages of newspapers (Aliagan, 2014).
Basically, one of the functions
of the media is surveillance of the society by unearthing potential and present
dangers and pointing the way forward. This study, therefore, is on content
analysis of coronavirus coverage by Nigerian newspapers.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
With the speed at which the recently discovered
coronavirus is spreading there is a need for everyone to be at alert to avoid
contacting the disease. Moreso, the submission of the World Health Organization
(WHO) that while the present type of coronavirus was transmitted from cat,
several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet
infected humans (WHO, 2020). This shows that without proper awareness and care,
the spread of COVID – 19 will not be curtailed in Nigeria.
According
to the World Health Organization analysis of the crises, aside from the human
cost, the outbreak has severally eroded the economies of the affected
countries. The arrival of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) threatens the
country’s health sector progress. According to Wypych, et al.,
(2017) an already low-capacity healthcare system has been over-extended and
unable to meet basic medical needs; restrictions on movement have hindered
trade and caused price increases that cannot be matched by the average Nigerian
who now lacks access to basic services such as food and water.
At
the individual level, the common denominator that drives most of the nutrition
and dietary recommendations to combat viral infections, including COVID-19,
lies within the link between diet and immunity. According to Wypych, et al., (2017), in fact, existing
evidence highlights that diet has a profound effect on people’s immune system
and disease susceptibility. It has been demonstrated that specific nutrients or
nutrient combinations may affect the immune system through the activation of
cells, modification in the production of signalling molecules, and gene
expression.
In Nigeria today, according to worldometer the
statistics of coronavirus cases is 171,728, the statistics of the death rate is
2,134 and the total statistics recovered is 164,837, (Worldometer, 2021). This highlights
the need for concerted effort by the media to enlighten the masses on
coronavirus, prevention and management. It is often necessary to impart information
to the wider public in order to reach mass audiences, such as in public health
campaign, as well as health campaigns which require different communication
skills and strategies, health communication does not always involve sharing
information with others, however, it can involve communication that takes place
solely within a person, through the use of processes such as reflection. According
to Djibo, (2019), in many everyday situations, we need to solve problems by
thinking through alternative courses of action, or we need to monitor the
results of our interactions with others.
In the area of health and nutrition, the lockdown
(also known as sit/stay at home policy) policy impacted negatively on the
majority of people in Nigeria who feed and survive only by what they earn
daily. The situation will be worse, owing to little or no social welfare
packages or palliative assistance provided by the government for the most
vulnerable people in society. Moreover, lack of payment of salaries by state governments,
increase in the price of commodities/foods and tariffs on inadequately supplied
utilities like electricity are some factors that will make the lockdown
unbearable, (Worldometer, 2020).
Nigeria’s already fragile food system was disrupted by the COVID-19 control
measures imposed in 2020. However, in recent times, more than COVID-19-related
disruptions, the increasing levels of conflict, banditry, kidnapping and
communal clashes in the Northeast, Northwest and North central states is having
a greater impact on food systems and food insecurity in the country. According
to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on Northeast
Nigeria in March 2021, the drivers of malnutrition in the region are chiefly
conflict and insecurity, followed by the lingering impact of COVID-19. These
are expected to further exacerbate the food crisis in the region, leading to
decreased food accessibility for millions of children and households,
Saharan-Africa (2021).
Despite the easing of COVID-19 related restrictions, the economic
setbacks experienced by vulnerable populations in 2020 remain, as poor
macroeconomic conditions continue to make recovery and access to food
difficult. Food trade is continually affected by the depreciation of the Naira
and high inflation coupled with the restrictions at Nigerian land borders,
despite the official reopening. The local currency depreciation and high
inflation rate stem from declining foreign reserves and economic damage caused
by COVID-19 control measures in 2020, leading to more pressure on already
stressed markets. According to a GeoPoll study on the impacts of COVID-19 in
six African nations, 68% of respondents in Nigeria indicated that their
spending on food and other necessities had increased in the three months before
April 2021 because of the constant rise in food prices. The persistent increase
in food inflation rates is putting more pressure on households already faced
with rising unemployment and declining incomes.
The mass media is expected to be
at the forefront of educating the masses that personal hygiene, hands hygiene
and personal protective equipment use provides safety to all who are
disciplined and committed to such practices in a time like this. This is
because reporting cases of coranavirus is not enough but also emphasizing
personal hygiene and other safety measures in various reports should be media
business in such health emergency time like this.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this
study is to assess the COVID – 19 nutrition and health information on selected
print media.
The specific objectives of this
study were to:
i. Evaluate the COVID – 19 related
nutrition information on news articles in selected newspapers
ii. Examine the COVID – 19 related
nutrition information on features articles in selected newspapers
iii. Examine the COVID – 19 related
nutrition information on editorial in selected newspapers
iv. Examine the COVID – 19 related
nutrition information on international news in selected newspapers
v. To examine the COVID – 19 related
nutrition information on advertisement/business section in selected newspapers
vi. To access the overall prevalence
of nutrition related COVID – 19 information reported in selected newspapers
(Nations and Punch) in Nigeria.
1.4
Significance of the Study
This study is very essential to the extent that it
helps to identify the content analysis of COVID – 19 related nutrition and
health information in print media. The researchers expected that if the
suggested and personal opinion proposed in this research work are implemented
effectively and diligently, the poor image of information and communication
technology on the health sector, governments and non-governmental sectors and
print media will be restored and achieved.
Findings
from this study will enable health care professionals, to be better informed on
information technology and how it can be used to handle and make the public
understand more of COVID-19 and how to prevent the virus from spreading. This
would enable them to adopt appropriate strategy on the health sector.
Also
this research will provide guidance to authorities and governments on how best to
intervene, strategize and consequently supervise and monitor health sectors,
social medias and other information channels.
The
study also hopes to underscore the very importance of the media towards
nutrition and health education, awareness and advocacy, identify the gaps noticed in
journalism and the need for the media to assist in the campaign against
emerging health issues through education and information.
This study will
also serve as a baseline data for future researchers who may wish to carry out
a further investigation on the coverage of Corona virus and other health issues
in Nigeria.
Click “DOWNLOAD NOW” below to get the complete Projects
FOR QUICK HELP CHAT WITH US NOW!
+(234) 0814 780 1594
Login To Comment