Content Analytical Study of Nigerian Newspapers' Reportage of Southern Kaduna Killings

Abstract

Objectives of the study: The study used three purposively-selected newspapers examine the Southern Kaduna killings in order to determine the intensiveness of the reportage, the frames used in the reports, the prominence given to the reports and how interpretative the reports were.

Methodology: The study content analyzed 168 editions of the selected newspapers over a period of 36 weeks (three years) using constructed week and simple random techniques.

Results: The study found that newspapers intensively reported the Southern Kaduna killings with an average of 2.08 reports per day. It found five most prevalent frames used in reporting constituting 82.33% while the remaining accounted for 17.67%. It further that the crises enjoy prominence with a cumulative of 154(43.87%) on front and back pages and carried 253(72.07%) interpretative stories.

Implications: The implication is that the Nigerian newspapers have significantly improved their reportage of crises and to be rising above ethno-religious and ownership interests.

Originality: This is study is original and has contributed in educating the public on the underlying issues in Southern Kaduna killings.