How Audience Preference and Media Coverage Shape Soccer in Nigeria

Covenant Journal of Communication (CJOC) Vol. 5 No. 2, Dec. 2018

An Open Access Journal, Available Online

Local Versus Foreign: How Audience Preference and Media Coverage Shape Soccer in Nigeria

Mumini Alao

Department of Mass Communication University of Lagos Lagos, Nigeria. mail: [email protected]

Abstract: This study juxtaposes foreign and domestic soccer narratives in the media to determine the level of influence each exerts on Nigerian fans. Respondents from four stadiums in Nigeria responded to questionnaire items while soccer administrators and sports media practitioners answered in-depth interview questions on this juxtaposition and the criterion of influence. Findings show the dominance of foreign content; jointly influenced by both the media and audience. Foreign soccer stories with a mean score of 4.63 featured prominently on the cover pages of sports newspapers compared to 3.29 for local stories while most fans (88.9%; n=1878) preferred foreign content. Results also show that commercial considerations influenced the agenda setting credential of sports media practitioners. Recommendations on how domestic soccer could attract more followership in Nigeria were made.

Keywords: Audience, preference, media coverage, domestic soccer, foreign soccer, gate-keeping, agenda setting, Nigeria.

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Introduction appraise the impact the media The prevalence of foreign content in actually generate. the Nigerian media space is an on- The mechanistic perspective of going discourse among scholars in media effect sees the audience Nigeria especially within the members as passive and reactive; context of cultural imperialism. focuses on short-term, immediate Akinfeleye and Amobi (2011) assert and measurable changes in that the media are potent social thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors and systems that transmit cultural assumes a direct influence on the heritage from one generation to the audiences. Research in some climes, next. Unimpressively, however, the including that of Nigeria, has shown media in Nigeria have been accused that the audience is not always a of undermining this social docile group of people that the responsibility performance by media could manipulate at will allowing the dominance of foreign (Klapper, 1960). Nevertheless, the content. The perceived neglect of hypodermic needle hypothesis that traditional media functions by media influence is immediate and journalists has prompted Akinfeleye heavily impacting on the audience – (2003) to question whether Nigerian comparable to what happens when a reporters operate as fourth estate of soldier fires a bullet on an attacker the realm or wreck! is still popular. While this is so in In the 1960s and 70s, media certain areas of mass scholars and social scientists communication such as advertising believed that the media had the and propaganda, there are not power to sway huge audiences. But enough studies to confirm the extent as of late, the situation has become of such direct media impact on the complex, following the sports audience in Nigeria. In this phenomenon known as media study, media influence is convergence wherein both the operationalized ad the power of the media and their audiences are in the media to make the audience behave same marketplace of information in a particular way while media deluge where supply exceeds impact describes a cause-effect demand. To understand the highly relationship with the audience with complex processes through which a very few intervening variables media effect takes place, researchers (Akinfeleye, 2003; Morah & usually isolate elements in the Omojola, 2014; communication process: 2011; Folayan, 2016; Odiboh, et al. communicator, channel and 2017). message in order to properly

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The Nigerian sport media has DSTV-SuperSport has several played a prominent role in nurturing sports channels and it has been and promoting Nigerian soccer. joined on the pay-tv segment by Apart from reporting the exploits of StarTimes sports channels and teams and players, it has also been KweseSport. On the internet, the the major custodian of the sport‟s number of Nigerian websites and history. In the 1960s and 1970s in blogs (Okorie, N., Loto, G. & Nigeria, foreign club soccer was Omojola, O. 2018) dedicated to largely unknown to Nigerian fans. sports is growing every day.

Local clubs such as IICC FC, Research Questions Stationery Stories FC, Mighty Jets This article investigates how media FC, Rangers International FC and coverage of soccer has affected the national team - The Green audience preference for the sport. Eagles - (as they were known then) The following are the research drew spectators that filled stadiums questions: to the brim. Support for local club  To what extent does media sides and the national team was like coverage influence audience religion; the passion was high. But preference for domestic and from the 1980s when media technology advanced rapidly, fans foreign soccer? gained more access to modern mass  To what extent does audience media – TV, radio, newspapers, and preference influence media now the Internet. Contents on coverage of domestic and foreign foreign soccer have since gained soccer? popularity. Today, it appears local  What influence does media type soccer has been pushed to the (print, broadcast or online) have background as the Nigerian media face the accusation of killing on audience preference for domestic football (Izamoje, 2018). domestic or foreign football?  How do soccer managers and As of January 2017, there were media practitioners perceive the three dominant national daily sports influence of the media on newspapers in circulation in Nigeria audience preference for domestic - Complete Sports, Sporting Sun and and foreign soccer? Sporting Life. Quite a few exist as Literature Review weekly newspapers dedicated to Media coverage refers primarily to reporting specific foreign club-sides the contents of the mass media. such as Manchester United and FC More broadly, it is a term used to Barcelona. On radio, Brila FM has describe the attention journalists four sports radio stations spread give to particular subjects or issues across the country. On television,

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 in the media. Thus, a newspaper items) and frequency (the number of may be described as giving more times the particular item or subject- coverage to football than basketball. matter is published (covered). Two types of media coverage are Media coverage of an issue may often found in the media literature: also be positive or negative in terms Placed media coverage which is of the impression it has or creates content published by media users on the audience. such as a public relations firm or The Agenda Setting Theory has individuals hired for the purpose; excellent expository constructs that and earned media coverage which explain how journalists impact is content produced by journalists or media audience in the process of a free contribution submitted by selecting stories for publication. The members of the public that the mass theory states that the mass media media outlet may accept to publish may not be so effective in telling its (endvawnow.org, 2017). audience what to think, but the mass

Placed media coverage often comes media is very effective in telling its in form of advertisements, opinion audience what to think about. pieces (op-eds), pitched interviews, Although various independent editorials, press releases, and media scholars have developed variations information kits. In most cases, this of the theory, Maxwell McCombs type of coverage is paid for. On the and Bernard Shaw (1993) that other hand, earned media coverage actually coined the term „agenda is usually free and is published by setting‟ and did most of the journalists using their professional pioneering research on the subject- judgement. However, publicists do matter. Agenda-setting is the influence such professional creation of public awareness and judgement through various methods concern of salient issues by the such as getting reporters and editors news media. Two basic assumptions interested in a particular subject, of the theory are: giving journalists fresh information - The press and the media do not that the media audience would value reflect reality; they filter and and adding a „spin‟ to issues in a shape it; manner that could make journalists - Media concentration on a few report the story. issues and subjects leads the

Media coverage may be measured public to perceive those issues as in terms of volume (length of the more important than other issues. report on air or in print), For example, in sports journalism, prominence (the positioning of the by placing stories about foreign item relative to other published soccer clubs and foreign soccer on their front pages and making

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 dominant broadcast items, McCombs, began to notice that journalists wittingly or unwittingly whenever a news story that tell their audiences that foreign conceivably could have been a football soccer and players are more major one was played down, its important and these audiences see it impact on the public seemed to as so. significantly dissipate. They,

Since 1972 when Maxwell therefore, began a series of studies McCombs and Bernard Shaw to establish an epistemological basis published their first series of articles in this regard (Lowery & De Fleur, on Agenda Setting in the Public 1988). McCombs and his team were Opinion Quarterly, hundreds of able to define the concept of agenda studies have been carried out and setting with a set of parameters. In various concepts and meta-theories spite of the variations and developed. Rogers and Dearing perspectives by critics, the (1993) have identified three types of taxonomy created from these studies agenda setting: remains the reference point in - Public agenda setting, in which explicating and applying the theory the public agenda is the (McCombs & Shaw, 1972).

dependent variable (the Blair (1988) and Pechmann (2001) traditional hypothesis). have also conceptualized media - Media agenda setting, in which scheduling as an important schema the media agenda is treated as in media coverage. They define the dependent variable (agenda media scheduling as how often building). individuals are exposed to - Policy agenda setting, in which information within a given time elite policy makers' agenda are frame (frequency and repetition treated as the dependent effects). Pechmann and Entman variable (political agenda (1989), in their report from several setting). studies on this, suggest that three Cohen (1963) introduced a new quality exposures to a dimension to the debate with the communication are probably assertion that the press may not be sufficient for a message to have its successful much of the time in effect but noted that it may take telling people what to think, but it is many more exposure opportunities stunningly successful in telling its to produce the effect of three quality readers what to think about. In the exposures. This is because potential mid-1960s, a small group of message recipients may choose not journalism researchers at the to attend to the message at some University of California in Los time or may be exposed only to a Angeles, led by Maxwell portion of the entire message at

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 some other time. But when the  Information must pass through a message is repeated quite often, its “gate” to move from one chances of making an impact on the channel to the next. recipients are increased.  Forces govern the channels. Lewin‟s theory on gatekeeping also illustrates the powerful influence of There may be opposing the media editor (Lewin, 1951). psychological forces causing Lewin conceived the news flow conflict, which create resistance along a channel consisting of to movement through the several gates controlled by channel. gatekeepers each of whom would  There may be several channels make a decision as to whether the news items should continue through that lead to the same end-result. the channel.  Different actors may control the Gate sections are governed channels that lead to the same either by impartial rules or by end result. „gatekeepers‟. In the latter case, an individual or group is „in The gate-keeping concept power‟ to make decisions of disregards or downplays the interest „in‟ and „out‟. Understanding of the reader or viewer. While the functions of the gates emphasizing the enormous powers becomes equivalent then to of the editor or series of editors at understanding the factors which the gates of the news flow, the determine the decisions of the theory does not help much in gatekeepers and changing the explaining what informs their social process means choices, which in actual practice influencing or replacing the gatekeeper. The first diagnostic often goes beyond professional rules task in such cases is that of of news or story selection. For finding the actual gatekeeper. example, influential publishers and (Lewin, cited by Ogunade, big advertisers sometimes do the 1988:85) gate-keeping (directly or indirectly) The process of the gatekeeping by telling the editors what to model involves the following: publish. Yet, the theory is very  Information moves step by step helpful – at least in suggesting to us through the channels. The that, largely, it is what the gate- number of channels varies and keeper thinks the reader wants to read, view or hear that eventually the amount of time spent in gets published or broadcast. each channel can vary. In his review of the evolution of agenda setting research, McCombs

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(1993) has noted that the complements to agenda-setting fruitfulness of the agenda-setting include cultivation analysis and the metaphor is documented in three spiral of silence. “Attribute agenda- features: setting links the theory with  the steady historical growth of framing” (McCombs, 2005. p. 546).

its literature, Shoemaker and colleagues studied  its ability to integrate a number the forces in news gatekeeping in of communication research relation to coverage of congressional bills in the United subfields under a single States. According to Shoemaker and theoretical umbrella as it has Reese (1991), they had two moved through four phases of hypotheses: expansion and  the routine gatekeeping force of  a continuing ability to generate assessing a bill‟s new research problems across a newsworthiness was related to variety of communication how prominently a bill was settings in the marketplace of covered, And 2) ideas.  the individual journalist McCombs himself has been at the characteristics (education, forefront of the expansion of the political ideology, work theory and growth of its literature. experience, ethnicity, gender, In 2005, he espoused further that there were five phases of agenda voting behavior) were related to setting which include basic agenda- how prominently a bill was setting effects, attribute agenda- covered. setting effects, contingent They also predicted that the conditions for agenda-setting newsworthiness of a bill would be effects, sources of media agenda more important than journalists‟ and consequences of agenda-setting personal characteristics. Surveying effects. He noted, however, that in both journalists (for their personal its evolution through the five stages, characteristics) and editors (for agenda-setting theory has evaluating newsworthiness), they incorporated or converged with a found that only newsworthiness had variety of other established a significant effect on the amount of communication concepts and coverage given to a bill. Thus, their theories. Incorporated concepts first hypothesis was supported as include status conferral, well as the idea that newsworthiness stereotyping, image building and would be more important than gate keeping. Theoretical

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 personal characteristics. (Stacks & affiliations. This means that Salwen, 2009). individuals join groups and blend

As more scholars published articles their agendas with the agendas of on agenda-setting theories it became the group. The groups and evident that the process involves not communities represent a collected only active role of media agenda of issues and one joins a organizations, but also participation group by adopting an agenda. On of the public as well as the other hand, agenda setting policymakers. The difference defines groups as collections of between agenda-setting and agenda- people based on some shared building is based on the dominant values, opinions or attitudes that role of media or public. Thus individuals have. This is different „setting‟ an agenda refers to the from traditional agenda setting effect of the media agenda on because individuals join groups in society, caused by the transfer of the order to avoid social dissonance and media agenda to the public agenda, isolation. Therefore, in the past in while „building‟ an agenda includes order to belong, people would learn some degree of reciprocity between and adopt the agenda of the group. the mass media and society where Now with the ease of access to both media and public agendas media, people form their own influence public policy (Rogers, agendas and then find groups that Dearing & Bregman, 1993). have similar agendas that they agree with. Advances in technology have The agenda-building perspective made agenda melding easy for ascribes importance not only to people to develop because there is a mass media and policymakers, but wide range of groups and individual also to social process, to mutually agendas. The Internet makes it interdependent relation between the possible for people around the globe concerns generated in social to find others with similar agendas environment and the vitality of and collaborate with them. In the governmental process. Many past agenda setting was limited to concepts have been developed to general topics and it was explain the various somewhat geographically bound because travel different meta-theoretical was limited. assumptions. They are explained Accessibility below. Accessibility can be defined as how Agenda melding much or how recently a person has This focuses on the personal been exposed to certain issues. As agendas of the individual vis-à-vis individuals try to make less their community and group cognitive effort in forming social

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 judgements, they are more likely to shows that the news media can rely on the information that is easily bundle sets of objects or attributes accessible. This leads to a greater and make these bundles of elements probability that more accessible salient in the public's mind information will be used when simultaneously. In other words, people make judgments on certain elements in people's mind are not issues. linear as traditional approaches

Second Level Agenda Setting indicate. Instead, they are Agenda-setting research at the interconnected with each other to second level deals with the make a network-like structure in influence of attribute salience, one's mind; and if the news media whereas the first level agenda- always mention two elements setting illustrates the influence of together, the audience will perceive issue salience. The focus at the first these two elements as interconnected. level agenda-setting which emphasizes media's role in telling us Framing "what to think about" is shifted to Framing focuses on the applicability media's function of telling us "how of individual's pre-existing to think about it" at the second level cognitive schema, which is different agenda-setting. This second level from agenda-setting and priming. considers how the agenda of Framing is the process of selecting attributes affects public opinion. certain aspects of an issue to gain Certain attribute agendas in the people's attention and to lead them news with low psychological to a particular line of interpretation. distance, drove compelling Also, the media's selective uses of arguments for the salience of public certain frames can affect the way agenda. The second-level agenda- the audience thinks about the issue. setting differs from traditional Both framing and agenda setting agenda-setting in that it focuses on seem to examine which attributes or attribute salience, and public's aspects of an issue are emphasized attribute agenda is regarded as one in the media. Some scholars see of the important variables. framing as an extension of agenda-

Third Level Agenda Setting setting (McCombs & Reynolds, 2009). The most recent agenda-setting researches explore the extent to The advent of the Internet and social which the news media can transfer media has elicited a variety of the salience of relationships among opinions concerning agenda-setting a set of elements to the public. The effects online. Some have claimed network agenda setting model that the power of traditional media has been weakened. Others think

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 that the agenda-setting process and religious beliefs.” Specifically, on its role have continued on the sports, he notes that “the media Internet, specifically on electronic agenda is defined by sports news bulletin boards. Traditional media and by broadcasts of actual sports such as newspapers and broadcast events.” He states further: “Both television are „vertical media‟ in (agenda setting and professional which authority, power and sports) have been staples of the influence come from the top and mass media, even more so with the flow down to the public. Nowadays advent of cable and specialized vertical media are undergoing a sports channels. Agenda-setting rapid decline with the rise of links this broad media agenda to horizontal media – the New Media first and second level agenda-setting that enable everyone to become a effects among the public and with source of information and influence. subsequent attitudes and behavior,

Meraz (2009) says that the limited especially viewing sports on research about the Internet is television, becoming a fan and attending sports events.” limiting the ecological validity of the agenda setting theory. He argues A study by Lee, Choi and Lee that although blogs and other forms (2003, cited by Eagleman, 2008), of computer (or mobile) mediated focusing on discussion board users‟ communication appear to be quickly coverage of World Cup soccer, gaining ground at the expense of observes, however, that agenda traditional news media outlets, more setting theory has been applied to research needs to be done to vouch the media‟s coverage of sports in for the universality of the theory. He only a few instances. Therefore, it is adds, however, that what is plainly necessary to explore the mass visible is that in the prevailing media‟s coverage of sports to hyper-competitive environment, determine what agendas are being traditional newsrooms have set by the media, or what issues in embraced newsroom blogs as an sport the media are telling its alternative vehicle for news delivery consumers to think about. in an effort to survive. With regard to how the media McCombs (2005. p.553) observes agenda is set in sports, a study by that as the agenda setting theory Knoppers and Elling (2004, p.60) evolved, scholars have applied its reveals journalists‟ claim that the central notion widely to areas criteria they use to select stories outside of political agendas such as they report on are “straight forward “corporate reputations, professional and simple and they themselves are sports, class room teaching and „neutral‟ in applying these criteria to

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 the selection process.” The enough. But a qualitative research journalists had asserted that they by Onwumechili (2009) in which he looked at the athlete or team with investigated the meaning of the the top performance no matter who European football leagues‟ is performing when questioned domination of the Nigerian football about their objectivity in selecting market is quite instructive. Using a athletes or team to cover. Based on frame analysis of two daily sports this finding, it would seem that the newspapers, one national daily sports journalists covering MLB newspaper and a satellite television (Major League Baseball) would sports channel, the study found that always report on the athletes with the media use a frame of „Nigeria as the best performance records. colony‟ to report football, thereby

Kischefsky‟s (2011) study of how interpreting Europe as the center of popular American sports modern football and Nigeria as periphery. broadcasting group ESPN sets the agenda discusses agenda-setting The researcher summarized the and framing and then examines roles that the various media have how the two concepts relate to played in the domination of the presentation of the lead Nigerian market by European stories on three ESPN outlets in football. According to him, television images from SuperSport’s comparison to non-ESPN outlets. coverage of European leagues create While the ESPN outlets made a taste for European football similar decisions to that of the (soccer) among Nigerian fans. That non-ESPN outlets on the priority taste creates the impetus for similar of story placement, there were coverage of the European leagues in enough instances to show that Nigerian newspapers and by ESPN did frame its stories in a Nigerian radio stations. The way to draw more viewers. This coverage in the local newspapers was done by focusing more began with a focus on specific attention on teams from larger European clubs that had Nigerian media markets and by keeping players in their squads but gradually grew into coverage of entire foreign sports, such as NASCAR, in leagues. which ESPN has a financial While not disputing Onwumechili‟s stake in the success of the sport, conclusion, Alao (2018) explains on the minds of the audience. some of the influences behind the Studies conducted on agenda setting average Nigerian sport editor‟s and sports in Nigeria are not visible agenda setting, averring that an

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 editor takes final decisions on which purposively selected because of its story to publish based on several location in Lagos. factors. In performing this role, he A breakdown of the census figures or she operates under several shows that the four states selected influences. These include: owner- for this study had the following investor interest; pressure group populations: Abia State 2,881,380; activities; commercial Kano State 9,401,288; Oyo State considerations such as advertisers; 5,580,894 and Lagos State laws and regulations; social and 9,113,605 (National Population political institutions and the Commission of Nigeria, 2017). audience. In the sports journalism Sampling Frame and Sampling sub-field, the two most critical Technique influences are advertisers and the Non-availability of the official audience. census figures specifically for the

Methods cities of Aba, Ibadan and Kano The research design for this study meant that the cities could not be integrates both quantitative and used as frames from which to qualitative approaches to data scientifically draw sample sizes for collection. The specific methods the survey of football fans for this adopted are content analysis, survey study. To overcome the problem, and in-depth interview. the researcher adopted the random

Survey stratified sampling technique. The study was carried out in four Cohen, Manion and Morrison major Nigerian cities where football (2011), explain that this technique is very popular: Aba, Kano, Ibadan involves dividing the population and Lagos. The choices of Aba, into homogenous groups, each Kano and Ibadan as study locations group containing subjects with were informed primarily by the similar characteristics. presence of Enyimba International In this study, the researcher Football Club in Aba, Kano Pillars narrowed sampling to Nigerian Football Club in Kano and Shooting soccer fans that actually go to the Stars Sports Club (otherwise known local stadium to watch domestic as “3SC”) in Ibadan. These are three football with a logical assumption of the most successful and best that they also watch the game, either supported club sides in Nigerian domestic or foreign, on television. football by virtue of their history The homogenous characteristics and records of achievements. The which qualify them as good cases fourth club side, Mountain of Fire for this study is their love for soccer Ministry (MFM) Football Club has and their willingness to go out of a lower pedigree but was

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 their way to pay an entry or gate fee who were trained on the use of the to watch the game. The researcher coded sheets designed by the deliberately took cases from soccer researcher. Ninety-one editions fans that patronized the local of Complete Sports covering three stadiums because they are typically consecutive months, 1st September passionate and knowledgeable about to 30th November, 2016 were the game and would provide well analyzed. The period of coverage informed responses to the was chosen deliberately to be when questionnaire. both the Nigerian and foreign Sample Size (particularly European) soccer A sample of 2,000 soccer fans was seasons were in session in order to proportionately taken from those give both the domestic and foreign who visited the stadiums on a football content equal chances of typical big local match day. Five being featured in the newspapers. hundred (500) copies of the Content analysis of Supersport questionnaire were distributed in television and Brila FM sports each stadium. A total of 1,878 of the radio were done by analyzing their questionnaires were returned program schedules downloaded completed in the following order: from their respective websites, Aba - 560; Kano - 502; Ibadan - supersport.com and brilafm.net. 407; and Lagos - 409. The Content analysis of dominant media in spots were completesportsnigeria.com was selected for the study. Content done by analyzing the website‟s analysis was conducted on one sport daily newsletter featuring its top newspaper (Complete Sports), one five stories delivered to its over sport radio station (Brila FM), one 25,000 subscribers via email every television sport channel day for the same three-month (SuperSport on DSTV) and one period, 1st September to sport website 30thNovember, 2016.

(completesportsnigeria.com). In- In-depth Interviews depth interviews were also The researcher conducted in-depth conducted with the editor, interviews with the media officers proprietor, general manager or other of the club sides selected for the relevant official in each media. study to gain further insight about

Content Analysis the teams and their supporters. Also, Data collection for the content the following sports journalists were analysis of the newspaper selected interviewed: Dr. Larry Izamoje, for the study, Complete Sports, was executive chairman, Brila FM radio; done at the newspaper‟s library with Mr. Felix Awogu, general manager, the help of two research assistants DSTV-Supersport Television; Mr.

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Dare Esan, editor, Complete Sports Findings newspapers; Mr. Nnamdi Ezekute, Media coverage as influence on editor, completesportsnigeria.com audience preference for domestic website. and foreign soccer

Table 1: Preferred match to watch when favorite domestic and favorite foreign club sides are shown simultaneously on television.

Preference % Domestic club 11.1 Foreign club 88.9 Total 100.0 (n= 1878)

Majority of the respondents (89%) domestic club side. However, most had preference for their foreign club respondents demonstrated a great sides when live football involving deal of patriotism when they had to their favorite domestic and foreign choose between their favorite club club sides were shown side and their national team as simultaneously on television while shown in the next table below. only 11% had preference for their

Table 2: Preference between favorite club side and national team

Preference % Favorite club 38.3 National team 57.7 Undecided 4.0 Total 100.0 (n= 1878)

Responses on Table 2 show that for their national team over their over half of the respondents had favorite domestic or foreign club preference for their national team sides. when matches involving their Levels of impact across media favorite club side (domestic or types (print, broadcast and foreign) were shown on television online) on audience preferences simultaneously with that of the for domestic and foreign soccer national team. However, 38% of the The broadcast media (TV and radio) respondents still preferred to watch is the platform mostly patronized their favorite (domestic or foreign) for soccer content, having 46.8 per club side while 4% were undecided. cent. Newspapers attract about one- The responses reveal also that the third of the audience who use it respondents had significant support more for football content. (31.8).

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Table 3: Media platform mostly used for soccer content

Media % Television 34.5 Radio 11.3 Newspapers 31.8 Online 19.9 No response 2.4 Total 100.0 (n= 1878)

Responses on Table 3 show that reports, one quarter (25%) selected overall, about 35% respondents international (i.e. national teams) found television media as their soccer reports while only 15% most preferable platform for soccer selected local soccer reports. The content. 32% prefer the newspaper responses correspond with the high platform, 20% online platform number of respondents who while 11% prefer the radio platform. expressed a preference to watch The indication of this is that matches of their favorite foreign television media has contributed the team over their favorite domestic most to the soccer fans preference team. for foreign soccer over domestic Listenership to soccer reports on soccer followed by newspapers, radio online media and then radio. Data confirm that most of the Readership of soccer reports in respondents (68%) do listen to Sports newspapers soccer reports on radio, 27% do not Data show that more than three- while 5% offer no response. quarters (80%) of the respondents Furthermore, about 43% of the read soccer reports in sport respondents indicated that their newspapers, 18% do not while 2% favorite football program on the offer no response. This sequence radio was foreign soccer reports, suggests that newspapers play an about a quarter (24%) specified important role as a source of international soccer reports, while information for soccer fans and that less than a quarter (18%) indicated it may be influential in determining local soccer as their favorite reports the loyalty and attitude of the soccer on the radio. This is in agreement fans toward their favorite teams with their choice of favorite soccer either domestic or foreign. When sections in the sports newspaper. It asked to specify their favorite is evidence further of the popularity section of the soccer reports in the of foreign soccer reports among newspaper, about half (49%) of the Nigerian soccer fans. respondents selected foreign soccer Use of Internet for soccer reports

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Data gathered specify that more internet access is readily available than half of the respondents (53%) on their mobile phones. Therefore, did not read soccer reports on the we can deduce that the internet now internet, 41% used the internet for plays an influential role in soccer reports while 6% did not information dissemination, loyalty offer a response. The data also show and attitude of the soccer fans that, despite its relatively young age toward their favorite team - compared to traditional media such domestic or foreign. This finding as newspaper and radio, internet use also indicates that the Nigerian as a source of soccer reports was soccer fans are dynamic in their growing among Nigerian fans. This choice of media for different types finding might also be associated of soccer content and that media with the fact that a large number of types have an influence on the the respondents were youths and consumption patterns of the fans.

Table 4: Categories of news on cover page of sport newspapers

Categories μ σ n Local Soccer stories 3.2955 2.20941 132 Foreign Soccer stories 4.6296 2.10805 135 Stories on Nigerian 1.8732 1.01319 71 Footballers Abroad Other Sports Local Stories 1.0000 .00000 10 Other Sports Foreign 1.0323 .17813 62 Stories Display Adverts 2.0135 1.09160 74 Total 2.9256 2.13679 484

Table 4 shows that foreign soccer abroad (μ=1.87) on the cover page. stories with a mean score of 4.63 Also, other sport foreign stories featured prominently on the cover featured is (μ=1.03) while the least pages of the sport newspapers in feature on the cover is other sports Nigeria during the period under local stories, (μ =1.00). Thus, it can consideration. This is closely be deduced that foreign and local followed by local football stories soccer stories usually feature (μ=3.30), display adverts (μ=2.01) prominently on the cover page of and stories on Nigerian footballers sport newspapers in Nigeria.

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Table 5: Categories of news in inside pages of sport newspapers

Categories μ σ % Local soccer stories 8.0147 4.12218 21 Foreign soccer stories 22.4000 7.78172 21 Stories on Nigerian 2.3953 1.42481 13 footballers abroad Other sports local stories 2.3171 1.00466 13 Other sports foreign stories 1.4857 1.22165 5 Display adverts 2.6727 2.18043 17 Classified adverts 5.228 3.08231 9 Total 8.0406 8.85217 100

Results in Table 5 show that foreign Nigerian footballers abroad football stories with a mean score of (μ=2.40) and other sports local 22.40 is the most prominent in the stories (μ=2.32) also featured fairly interior pages of the sport inside the sport newspapers. The newspapers during the period under results indicate that foreign soccer consideration. However, local stories dominated the inside pages football stories (μ=8.02), classified of the sport newspapers during the adverts (μ=5.22), stories on period under consideration.

Table 6: Categories of photographs

Categories μ σ % Local Soccer photographs 5.8880 5.19649 24 Foreign Soccer photographs 28.1556 10.66929 26 Photos on Nigerian Footballers 2.6711 1.65238 15 Abroad Other Sports Local Photos 1.4000 .75394 4 Other Sport Foreign Photos 2.3594 .89739 12 Display Adverts 5.2346 3.58912 16 Classified Adverts 1.2105 .41885 4 Total 10.3192 12.34281 100

As presented in Table of Nigerian footballers 6, photographs on foreign soccer abroad (μ=2.67), other foreign with a total mean score of 28.16 are sports photographs (μ=2.36) and the major feature of the sport other local sports newspapers in Nigeria during the photographs (μ=1.40) are also period under consideration. Local visible. Thus, it can be inferred that soccer photographs (μ=5.89), foreign soccer photographs feature display adverts (μ =5.24), photos more in Nigerian sports newspapers.

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How club sides managers and more attractive to the fans.” (Esan, 2018) media practitioners perceive the influence of the media on While football managers audience preferences for domestic passionately appeal to sports and foreign soccer journalists to reduce the attention The researcher used the outcome of given to foreign football in order to the in-depth interviews with five promote domestic football, the leading sports editors/media sports journalists see forces of proprietors to gain more insight into demand and supply in an the connection between media environment of hype-competition influence and audience preferences rather than patriotism and social for domestic and foreign football. responsibility.

The respondents were unanimous “It has come to the level of about their influences on their economics now. We have to readers/listeners/viewers. Although consider the bottom line because they admitted that their perception we have bills to pick. Advertisers of audience preference also prefer to associate more with influenced them (editors) in foreign club sides because they want to reach the audience where choosing and giving prominence to they are. Naturally, we in media stories, when asked “who influences also have to do what will help us the other more: sports journalists or to stay in business and make the audience?” all of them chose profit so we provide the content “sports journalists”. One of the that the fans and advertisers editors explained graphically: prefer. However, as professional “I believe that the Nigerian journalists, we recognize our sports media has promoted social responsibilities. We foreign football (soccer) to a therefore have created several level that our audience derives windows to promote local huge gratification from football as well. I can preferring foreign football. Most delightfully say that we are fans want to associate with getting encouraging results from Arsenal, Chelsea instead our audiences in this regard” of Kwara United or Lobi Stars. (Izamoje, 2018).

The media started it and the Conclusion and audience got hooked. We now Recommendations have no choice than to sustain It can be deduced from the findings the new passion especially that media coverage has influenced because the quality and audience preference in favor of entertainment value of foreign football is indeed higher and foreign soccer significantly. This alludes to the huge volume of foreign soccer content published

Mumini Alao CJOC (2018) 5(2) 1-23 and broadcast in the Nigerian primary content source, majority of media. the students and unemployed used An overwhelming majority of the the internet as a secondary source respondents who expressed whereas most public and private fondness for foreign soccer gave sector workers used radio as the reasons for their choices (in order secondary source. of preference) were the quality of Based on findings to this football, quality of players and investigation, the researcher quality of infrastructure which they recommends as follow: rated higher than what is available 1. Rather than label Nigerian in domestic soccer. On the other media offering predominantly hand, all the media practitioners foreign soccer content as interviewed claimed that their “imperialist” or “unpatriotic”, editorial decisions on domestic and Nigerian communication foreign soccer coverage were scholars should accept such influenced primarily by the media as business concerns demands of their audience. This motivated by the urge to satisfy suggests that audience preference their audiences so that they can influences media coverage of generate revenue. The media domestic and foreign soccer should therefore be cultivated significantly and to a great extent. and encouraged to promote This study firmly establishes domestic football. the flexibility and independence of 2. Managers and publicists of the audience in making decisions on domestic soccer in Nigeria which football content to consume. should see the comparatively It also answers the research question lower patronage of domestic in the affirmative that simultaneous soccer by Nigerian fans as a media coverage of domestic and challenge and be more creative foreign soccer has a significant on how to attract and engage the impact on audience preference. fans in order to boost match-day Specific media types impact attendance as well as significantly on audience preference followership in the media. The for domestic and foreign soccer. media officers of the club sides Furthermore, the demography of the interviewed in this study audiences was very much at play in enumerated the efforts each of terms of their preferred media for them has been making to soccer consumption. While engage the fans. It is television and newspapers were recommended that these efforts common to all the occupational should be sustained especially categories of the respondents as

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the use of social media which who run these clubs on has grown in popularity among shoestring budgets. Club Nigerian soccer fans. managers should attract private 3. Managers of domestic soccer sector funding especially from should also address the reasons big multinational corporations cited by respondents in this operating in Nigeria. The study for their lukewarm federal government can attitude to domestic football. encourage such sponsorship These include corrupt practices with incentives such as tax in all areas by officials rebates and other preferential especially among public considerations. Improved servants (Omojola, 2009; 2011), funding will help retain in the the low quality of organized Nigerian league more players games, low quality who presently seek for better infrastructure and poor contracts abroad, and also refereeing. Improvement in attract foreign players to the these areas will make the local Nigerian league.

league more attractive to fans. 5. Nigerian soccer fans should In particular, poor officiating show greater patriotism in and poor soccer pitches have patronizing the domestic league been a sore point on soccer for a despite its shortcomings. Such long time in the country. The patronage will encourage Nigeria Professional Football greater corporate participation League (NPFL) should end the and attract more funding from curse by insisting on standards. sponsors who want their Incompetent and corrupt advertising and publicity to officiating should be seriously reach the huge football fan base. penalized. Such measures will The resultant cash inflow can be collectively improve the overall used to address the quality of domestic football and shortcomings in the domestic attract greater coverage and game to the benefit of all followership by the media and stakeholders. the audience respectively. 6. The Nigerian Broadcasting 4. Inadequate funding has often Commission (NBC) which is been identified as one of the the government agency that major challenges of domestic regulates electronic media soccer in Nigeria. This is content in Nigeria could because majority of the local introduce additional measures to football club sides are support local content, sponsored by state governments

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specifically domestic football industries. Such protectionist content the way it has done for policies have been used by other Nollywood (Daramola, countries such as England to Hamilton, & Omojola, 2014), attract football fans to the which has turned out to be one stadium. of the world‟s biggest movie

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