| Abstract: |
This study comparatively appraised the political news reporting techniques of The Nation and The Guardian newspapers. The study investigated the recurring frames on political news reporting of The Nation and The Guardian newspapers and examined whether or not these political news reports manifest political sentiments and bias. The study anchored on the Framing and Gatekeeping theories. The population comprised of all 24 national dailies in Nigeria in the first stream and 300 in the second – which comprised 150 editions each of both dailies. Furthermore, the composite week approach was adopted for the sample size. Using the constructed study calendar within the study period of May 2018 to March 2019, a sample size of 42 was determined. The code sheet and coding guide served as the instruments for data collection, while the units of analysis were straight news, editorial, features, cartoons, interviews and letter to the editor. The quantitative data were presented and analysed using frequency distribution tables and simple percentage. Also, the constant comparative technique was used to analyse the qualitative data. The results, therefore, showed that the frequency of political news in The Nation newspaper was higher (601 or 51.3%) as against The Guardian newspaper (527 or 48.7%). It further showed that the most recurring frames in these political reports in The Nation and The Guardian newspapers were frames of apprehension. Findings also indicated that political news reports of the newspapers merely created awareness and information and did not “adequately” address nagging issues in the nation’s body polity. In this vein, the study concluded that political reports shifted from reinforcing existing volatility and shenanigans that characterize Nigerian political system to engendering political awareness and electorate participation in the political process. It was recommended based on the foregoing that the political news reporting techniques of newspapers should be development driven by focusing on addressing core variables that instigate political violence in the first instance. |
