| Title: | Impact of Photojournalism on Readers Perception of Newspaper Reports |
| Author(s): | Joshua Olatunji Oladapo & Francis Amenaghawon |
| Abstract: | This research investigated how photojournalism contributes to the perceptions of readers about newspaper content. Grounded in Gatekeeping Theory and Development Media Theory, this research aimed to find out if photojournalism significantly influence readers' perception of newspaper contents and also to know the role photojournalism plays in determining audience acceptance of news reports. This study adopted the descriptive survey research design. A total of three hundred and fifty (350) respondents were covered in the study and a questionnaire was administered in a proportion that served as the general representation of the total population. For the purpose of this study, a convenience sampling technique was adopted in order to obtain a response for the purpose for which the research work was carried out. Findings showed that the majority of the respondents agreed that photojournalism influenced readers' perception of newspaper contents to a great extent. Also, the majority of the respondents agreed photojournalism enhanced the overall message of a newspaper article to a great extent. This aligned with the assumptions of Gatekeeping Theory, where visual elements acted as filters that influenced what and how information reached the audience, and supported Development Media Theory in promoting media that engaged and informed readers effectively. It was recommended that newspapers be more focused on dishing out quality photographs that represented and served as an introduction to a story because the photographs were side attractions to a news story for better reader appeal. |
| Keywords: | Photojournalism, Readers Perception, Newspaper Reports, Visual Communication. |
