ABSTRACT
The purpose of this
study is to examine the influence of newspaper structure and direction on the
coverage of the Niger Delta Crises by newspapers in Nigeria.
The study adopted the
Agenda-Setting Theory and the Gate-Keeping Theory for its theoretical framework.
Overall, the review of literatures showed that ownership and direction exerts a
considerable influence on news coverage.
Content analysis was
used as the research method to investigate the activities of four selected
national daily newspapers, namely:- Financial Standards, Business Day, The
Guardian and This Day. The Coding sheet was used as the measuring instrument to
generate data.
The analysis of the
study showed that the conventional newspapers reported more news items on the
Niger-Delta crises than the financial newspapers.
The study also
established that conventional newspapers devoted more space to the coverage of
the event than the financial newspapers.
Nevertheless,
adequate prominence was given to the mayhem as these national, daily newspapers
in large cases featured the event as their front page lead stories for several
days.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page
Certification i
Dedication ii
Acknowledgement iii
Abstract iv
Table of Content v
CHAPTER
ONE
Background 1
Establishment of Development Committees 3
(Ogbemudia Administration)
Governor James O. Ibori’s Administration 5
Problem Statement 9
Purpose of Study 11
Significance of the Study 11
Research Questions 12
Definitions of Terms 13
Methodology 15
Scope And Limitation of Study 15
CHAPTER
TWO
Literature Review 17
The Potency of The Mass Media 18
How To Enhance The Performance of Media 22
Theoretical Frame Work 23
General Function of The Mass Media 25
Hindrance To The Performance Of Media 28
CHAPTER
THREE
Research Methodology 29
Sampling Procedure 30
Study Population 30
Variable Measured (Content Categories) 31
Measure of Content Categories 31
Data Collection Instrument 32
CHAPTER
FOUR
Data Analysis 33
CHAPTER
FIVE
Conclusion, Summary And Recommendation 42
Recommendation 46
Suggestion For Further Studies 46
Bibliography 47
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND
The Niger Delta is an
unstable area of Nigeria,
and inter-ethnic clashes are common - often access to oil revenue is the
trigger for the violence. Pipelines are regularly vandalized by impoverished
residents, who risk their lives to siphon off fuel. Vandalism is estimated to
result in thousands of barrels of crude oil wastage every day - a loss to the
Nigerian economy of millions of dollars each year. Nigeria is the world's sixth
largest oil-producing nation. However, mismanagement and successive military
governments have left the country poverty-stricken.
Although many
observers of the South-South think primarily of youths invading oil company
properties when they think of conflict there, in fact the roots of South-South
conflicts lie deeper in history and in the contemporary social circumstances of
the area. Contemporary history of the Delta can be summarized as economic
decline and broken promises. Historically, Delta communities prospered as
“middlemen” controlling trade with the interior, particularly palm oil products
and slaves. But with the development of the colonial state and independence,
the region experienced a steady decline and stagnation, for no new sources of
wealth developed there to replace these activities.
More recently, the
failure of the early independent Nigerian government to follow through on a
promise to treat the Delta as a special development area, the steady reduction
in the share of oil royalties that states in the Delta have received, and,
finally, the habitual disregard of state needs by non-indigenous military state
governors, continued and worsened Delta problems. The Federal Government of
Nigeria’s neglect of the Delta’s development (roads, schools, electricity, and
health services all ended well inland before reaching coastal communities), Nigeria’s
overall economic decline since the mid-1980s, and the tendency of educated
Delta youths to leave the area, have confirmed its status as an economic
backwater. The people who remained behind simply lacked prospects elsewhere.
The complexity of
issues and number of stakeholders involved exacerbate South-South problems. The
Delta, in part because of its riverine/swamp topography, has historically been
politically extremely fragmented, and subject to frequent and at times violent
disputes over land and fishing rights, as well as over traditional leaders’
political jurisdictions. These all lead to cycles of “revenge violence.” As
more powerful weapons became available in the Delta in the mid- and late-1990s,
disputes became more violent. Youth gangs became more powerful who were willing
and able to protect their villages and elders. As democratic competition
returned in 1998–1999, some of these same youths took up a new line of
activity, paid disruption of campaign events, and/or provided candidates
protection from such unwanted attentions. Finally, traditional leaders have
lost much credibility and respect as they have been corrupted by payments from
the military government and the oil companies. There is an inevitable and
serious conflict of interest between Delta communities that bear the
environmental damage of oil extraction and the rest of the nation for which oil
money is essentially a free good.
The violent crises in
the oil producing region of the Niger-Delta have a long history. It could be
traced to the British colonial rule in that part of Nigeria when the principle of
ethnic and national autonomy was preserved through the doctrine of indirect
Rule introduced by Lord Frederick Lugard. During this period, Warri and other
towns were established in the 1890’s which gave birth to other systems of local
administration. This followed as much as possible, the principle of ethnic
autonomy. In other words, the various ethnic groups in the region attained a
level of independence that made it possible for them to administer their
councils directly. In all the Niger-Delta
provinces, Local Councils were established for the Urhobos, Isokos, Ijaws,
Itsekiris and Ukwanis after which the same system was extended to other
minority groups in the region. This arrangement continued into the 1940’s when
Sir Arthur Richard’s Federal Constitution came into effect. With the
introduction of this constitution, more impetus was added to the powers wielded
by the local councils in all the constituent ethnic groups and in order that
the autonomy of the people of the region is preserved, the British colonial
administration adhered to the idea of unity in diversity. For example, the
Western Regional Government in the Old Warri province created the Gbaramatu,
Egbema, Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri Divisional and later the Warri Urban District Councils.
The same thing was then replicated in other places in the region which engendered
peaceful co-existence and gave a sense of belonging to the people.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES BY OGBEMUDIA
ADMINISTRATION
As recently as 1977,
the principle of local administration remained popular and paramount for the sole
purpose that it will aid the speedy development of the region as the diverse
ethnic groups had their multi-faceted need. Even during the military era
between 1966 and 1975, the governments in power at various stages adhered to
this principle because of the relative peace it had caused in the region. For
instance, in 1974 the Ogbemudia government of the old mid-Western Region
established Development Committees for the region. In the Warri division there
was; Warri Urban Development Committee, Ode-Itsekiri Development Committee,
Ogbe-Ijoh Development Committee, Benin River Development Committee, Egbema
Development Committee, Ugborodo Development Committee, Gbaramatu Development
Committee and koko Development Committee. These committees it is widely
believed was set up promote the mutual co-existence of all ethnic groups in the
region and the recognition of the identity and aspirations of the various
ethnic groups (Niger-Delta Peace Conference: 2005).
However, the peace
that have permeated the region for sometime apart from pockets of ethnic and
communal clashes seem to have come to a halt, because the federal government
which has little or no knowledge about the peculiarities and needs of the
region have continued to control proceeds accruable from crude oil being
explored from the region. As a consequence, the system of ruling and resource
sharing which the British Colonial administration and subsequent
post-independent governments used in stabilizing the area was destroyed. This
is one of the major causes of the current instability and violence in the
region.
From what has been
happening in the region, it is clear that the present arrangement lacks the
necessary ingredient for achieving peace and stability in the area. To this
end, it is imperative that urgent steps are taken by the Federal Government to fashion
out an administrative and developmental framework that would guarantee
equitable and fair distribution of wealth accruable from the natural resources
been harnessed in the region. For now, the focus should be on how to build an
efficient system of allowing the local administrations to have a significant
control of the resources so that they can meet the yearnings of the people and
speedy development of the region.
GOVERNOR JAMES O. IBORI’S ADMINISTRATION
According to the
Governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, in his address to the Delta
State House of Assembly on the Niger-Delta Crises on Thursday, June 15, 2005, he said:
“The primary
constitutional duty in our democracy is to establish order, peace and good
government for our people. Therefore, in times of crises and fierce conflict as
these, we are challenged. We must respond appropriately to give hope to our
people and uplift the spirit and great values of democracy” (Ibori 2005:16)
For several, painful
weeks, residents of the Niger-Delta especially, towns and creeks in Rivers,
Bayelsa and Delta States have learnt never to go to bed at night with their two
eyes closed. It is important to note that six states (Rivers, Cross Rivers,
Edo, Bayelsa, Delta), make up the oil producing states of Niger-Delta but three
of the states have remained volatile in since the return to democratic
governance in 1999. Not withstanding the presence of armed military personnel
and other security apparatus put in place, militants in the region have learnt
to strike at will with trepidation and force, not minding the number of
casualties and consequences of their actions on the image of the nation.
To the consternation
of the government and peace loving people, not even the massive deployment of
soldiers, mobile police and naval personnel to all the nooks and crannies of
the oil rich region has made the situation any better or made the militants
lessen their offensives on oil installations, gas pipelines, oil wells and
foreign oil workers.
Living in the
Niger-Delta these days has become a worrisome headache for residents who live
in fear and danger as they don’t know what will happen the next minute.
Residents now have to avoid being caught in cross fires between the military personnel’s
and the heavily-armed militants. In some parts of the region, curfew is in
place to checkmate the inordinate actions of militant groups. The curfew imposed
last 6pm and 6am.
Temporary succour
came the way of residents in some parts of the region when their state
governors at different times in October of 2006, ordered that the curfew be
partially lifted to ease the plight of residents whose businesses had been
severely affected by the curfew.
Nevertheless, the
goodwill of easing the curfew by the state governors have continued to suffer
abuses by the militants who in no time launch fierce attacks on oil
installations and expatriates working in the region.
As it is presently,
the Niger-Delta can be considered a region under siege by different militant
groups led by Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) and a few
other veiled militants group claiming to be fighting for the people of the
region. This has been making residents adjust to a new way of life and doing
business in the presence of gun-totting soldiers, naval and mobile policemen that
are carefully positioned in strategic places in the region.
The foreign community
and visitors are sometimes compelled to believe that the Niger-Delta region is
a hot-bed of gangsterism and fierce battle because of youths who mill around
town wielding deadly and sophisticated weapons. Their audacity knows no bounds
as they even move close to military formations to prove that they can match the
security personnel fire for fire. Almost every child, youth and adult in the
Niger-Delta have become so used to the sight of guns that they have coined names
for it. Guns and rifles go by such names as: “Knock-out”, “toy” or “pure
water”, depending on the sophistication. Some youths even dance with elation
when staccato bursts of gunshots from troops or the militants rend the calm air
of Warri, Bonny, Ahoada, Buguma, Degma, Isiokpo, Nembe, Okrika, Brass, Oporoma,
Igbani, Degema etc. (Joseph Evah: 2005)
Whichever way it is
viewed, residents are gradually being toughened by their daily exposure to maiming
of lives and destruction of property. Sometimes, the playing up of ethnic
sentiments in order to unleash terror on innocent visitors and law-abiding
residents going about their lawful trades or activities have caused many
residents to flee to other places where relative peace can be felt. Hence,
vigilance is now the watchword in the oil city.
According to the
coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Zik Gbemre in a press interview:
he said;
“The number of
sophisticated weapons in the hands of youth is alarming. Government needs to do
something urgently about this because it portends grave danger to the whole state
and the Niger Delta region” (Gbemre: 2005)
These days, it is
easy to find gun-wielding youths walking confidently in the streets, on
motorcycles popularly known as Okada or in dark alleys of unlit abodes. With reckless
abandon, they kill and maim, sometimes quietly and undetected by the hordes of
soldiers, mobile policemen and naval personnel drafted to maintain peace across
the region.
All avenues to
explore peace in the region and hopes of finding a lasting solution to the
violence in the city get bleak by the day. Not even the olive branch waved by
the Federal and state governments have yielded much fruits. Even where
incentives and motivations were offered, the peace in the region has only
remained temporary. It is no wonder therefore that, the Federal Government
launched a new squad tagged “Operation Restore Hope”, to tackle violence in the
region.
With various
traditional institutions, it is interesting to note that the leaders have not
been able to bring about lasting peace in the embattled region. Rather, some
have been found to have been supporting the youths in causing confusion in the
region. In some cases, the leaders appear to have narrow interests that have only
further deepened the crises. The failure to offer quality leadership has only
translated to pain for residents, visitors and expatriates working in the
region.
Nowadays, it is not a
strange act to see residents in some parts of the Niger-Delta raising both
hands while walking on the streets. This portrays an act of friendliness or
harmlessness when approaching road-blocks mounted in strategic positions by the
soldiers or the mobile policemen.
Learning how to dodge
and avoid stray bullets is a practice everyone must imbibe to be able to
survive in the Niger-Delta these days. The fierce fighting particularly in some
parts of Bayelsa between militants and soldiers has continued to expose
everyone in the state and by extension the region to grave and unfortunate
danger. City life in the region is near dead and except adequate steps are
taken by the Federal Government to enthrone lasting peace, the crises may
snowball in to a full blown war which will consequently cause the fortunes of
the nation to dwindle.
According to Governor Ibori (2006:18):
“Delta State the Big
Heart of Nigeria, is historically a child of circumstance. It was conceived in
ethnic agitations. Born in ethnic and sectarian agitations and it has continued
to thrive in the midst of fierce agitations, mutual ethnic distrust and acrimony.
I must say, however that in our ethnic diversity lays the strength of the state.
The fascinating ethnic composition of the state provides us socio-economic and
political advantage of unity in diversity. Democracy together with its
attendant challenges is an added advantage for enhancing the strength of the
state.”
PROBLEM STATEMENT
This research project
is intended to examine the roles played by the Nigerian press in the coverage
of violence in the Niger-Delta while considering their angle of publication. In
an ideal society, communication plays a prominent role especially in the process
of governance. By extension, the importance of the print medium as a
communication link cannot be disputed.
According to Akinfeleye (1988:47)
“The socio-political
ideology of a nation is reflected in the type of press system that operates in
that society. That is to say that in a nation that operates the Democratic
system of Government, it is assumed that its mass media system will be free- that
is to say, they will be moving towards the basic concept of rationality,
freedom, liberty, open market place of ideas and so on.”
“On the other hand, a
nation that operates the authoritarian system of government, the mass media
systems will be moving towards some controls, irrationality and authoritarianism.”
Newspaper coverage of
issues of national interests is more relevant as a vehicle of development in
any society. Therefore, this study is set to examine the roles played by the
Nigerian press in its report of the Niger Delta oil crisis.
Based on this, an
attempt will be made in drawing a comparative analysis on the following as
regards the coverage of the crisis.
A - The number of news that was published
between September and
October 2006.
B - The amount of space that was devoted to
news during the period
under review.
C - The level of prominence given to news.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
Basically, every
research project is informed by some reasons. To this end therefore, the purpose
of this thesis is to evaluate the performance of the press in carrying out its
primary duty of surveillance of the environment and correlation of the parts of
the society as regards the coverage of the Niger-Delta crises.
The extent and nature
of coverage, involves whether or not the press adequately covered the crises
and whether or not the coverage was executed professionally and objectively. Or
whether or not the events mirrored were over-sensationalized, politicized,
trivialized and badly distorted. It will also be necessary to determine in the
assessment whether there were glaring cases of unethical reporting - that is
cases of unverified reporting and the peddling of outright falsehood - and how
such practice in a way, if any helped in fanning the embers of the crises.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be of
great significance to the print media that is newspaper industry, in terms of
content development in crises situations. It will help to evaluate the
performance of the print media in reporting violence. It will also contribute
to existing literature on the role of the media in news development.
It will also be a
benchmark for governments to assess and manage the violence.
The study will help
the publishers to be aware of their level of adequacy in enlightening the
masses about issues in the environment, which will allow them focus more on the
issues that need urgent attention.
Besides these, the
Nigeria Press council (NPC) will benefit from this study, as the council will
be able to assess the performance and adherence of the Nigeria press in the 4th
Republic as regards journalistic standards and ethics it has laid down.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Every research,
project, no doubt, intends to answer some questions in a somewhat scientific
way.
The following
questions have therefore been short listed for investigation in this project:
1.
Between the conventional and financial newspapers, which one gave
a more in-depth report of the crises?
2.
Did the conventional newspaper dedicate more news space to the
crises than the financial newspapers?
3.
Is the conventional newspaper more balanced in their reports than
the financial newspapers?
4.
Do the sources from which the conventional newspaper and the
financial newspaper derive their stories from differ?
5.
Did the conventional newspaper over-sensationalize its report more
than the financial newspapers did?
6.
What is the predominant form of coverage? (In terms of news
reports, features, letters to the editor, opinion articles, cartoons, pictures
and editorials).
DEFINITION OF TERMS
A. Crisis: In relation
to an environment, is a time of danger or suspense in politics. It could also
be a situation reaching a critical phase that is an unstable or crucial time or
state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending, especially with the
distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome.
B. Newspaper: The
Nigerian Press Law defines a newspaper to mean; Any paper containing public
news, intelligence, or any remarks or observations…containing only or
principally advertisements.
C. Newspaper Coverage:
This is the extent or degree to which an issue is observed, analyzed and
reported by a print publication in terms of features, news, opinion articles,
editorials, pictures etc.
D. Direction: Defines by Lasswell as “the attitude
expressed towards any symbol by its user”. It is usually categorized as
favourable, unfavourable and neutral.
E. News Report: Factual accounts of events or activities
connected to the issue in focus.
F. Editorials: Collective opinion of a news medium in
relation to issue under study.
G. Picture: Photographic
representation of activities, persons or events that in a way relate to the
area of concern in this study.
H. Feature, Opinion
Articles: The views, perceptions on
specific events as expressed by newspaper columnists, correspondents and
non-paid contributors.
I. Slanting:
Deliberate misrepresentation of facts of favour the selfish interest of the
media owner and/or the journalist.
J. Objectivity: Means
the news comes to the readers untainted by any personal bias or outside
influence that would make it appear anything but what it is.
K. Prominence: This
refers to the position (front page lead, front page minor, back page minor, inside
page) in the newspaper that was given to the subject or issue.
L. Ownership: This is
the dominion the publisher has to control/or influence the news items published
in the newspaper. It could be government or private ownership influence.
M. Front Page Lead
Story: News items published as the main story on the front page of a newspaper.
It usually has the biggest headline on the front page.
N. Front Page Minors:
Other stories published on the front page apart from the main or lead story.
O. Back Page Lead
Story: News item published as the main
story on the back of a newspaper. It usually carries the biggest headline on
the back page.
P. Back Page Minors:
Any other news stories published on the back page of a newspaper apart from the
back page lead story
Q. Inside Page
Story: News story published on the
inside page of a newspaper.
METHODOLOGY
The content analysis
method will be used in this study because of the following reasons:
i. The method is
objective; hence, it would enable accurate presentation of body of messages.
ii. The method is
quantitative. Therefore it would allow the researcher to summarize results and
report them with greater parsimony.
iii. The method is
systematic.
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
Historically, the Niger-Delta
crises have been on for a long time, considering that the region has always been experiencing one infraction or
another (ethnic and sectarian), the study spanned one month; September 16, 2006
to October 16, 2006. This period in review is when the mayhem seemed
uncontrollable.
Similarly, only four
Newspapers will be studied. Four privately-owned- conventional newspapers and financial
newspapers - will be studied in order to have smooth accessibility and
presentation of data. The newspapers that will be studied are The Guardian, This
Day, Financial Standards and Business Day.
REASON FOR CHOOSING THE NEWSPAPERS
THE GUARDIAN: The Guardian Newspaper is a hard news journal. It was chosen
because it is considered one of the most widely-read, objective and respected
newspapers in Nigeria with minimal cases of retractions after publication.
THISDAY: Coming close to The Guardian is, This Day Newspaper which is also
a hard or straight news journal. Like The Guardian, it is one of the veritable
media of information in Nigeria. This Day is also objective and gives in-depth
analysis on prominent issues as they affect the country.
FINANCIAL STANDARDS: Like its name suggests, the Financial Standard is a business
journal focusing basically on business and economic issues with a little bias
for political news. The Financial Standard will be sampled because it also
devotes considerable amount of space to political news.
BUSINESS DAY: The Business Day Newspaper concerns itself with business and
economic issues. Its major preoccupation is reporting financial news. The
reason for sampling this medium is because it also dedicates substantial amount
of space to news outside its core area.
It is imperative to
note that the reason for sampling the four newspapers is because the four
newspapers devoted significant amount of space to the issue under research.
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