THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NEWS REPORTAGE AND PRESENTATION OF NEWS IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF TELEVISION NEWS BY IGOMU ONOJA B.Sc, M.Sc (Jos). (PGSS/UJ/12674/00) A Thesis in the DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, Faculty of Social Sciences, Submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies, UNIVERSITY OF JOS, JOS, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D) of the UNIVERSITY OF JOS. August 2005 ii DECLARATION I, hereby declare that this work is the product of my own research efforts, undertaken under the supervision of Prof. Ogoh Alubo, and has not been presented elsewhere for an award of a degree or certificate. All sources have been duly distinguished and appropriately acknowledged IGOMU ONOJA PGSS/UJ/12674/00 iii CERTIFICATION iv DEDICATION To my wife, Ada, for all her patience while I was on the road most of the time. v ACKNOWLEDEGEMENTS I am most grateful to Professor Ogoh Alubo who ensured that this research work made progress. He almost made it a personal challenge ensuring that all necessary references and corrections were made. His wife also made sure that I was at home any time I visited Jos. Their love and concern for this work has been most commendable. My brother, and friend, Dr. Alam’ Efihraim Idyorough of the Sociology Department gave all necessary advice to enable me reach this stage of the research. He helped to provide reference materials most times, read through the script, and offered suggestions. The academic staff of Sociology Department and the entire members of the Faculty of Social Sciences assisted in many ways when I made presentations. Their input helped to enrich the research. The former Head of Department, Professor E.E.O Alemika and present Head of Department Dr. Gray Ejikeme, had their doors opened to me every time I needed assistance. I am most grateful to my brother, John Ugwu Onoja who with his wife had to tolerate my late nights in their house most times when I was using their computer. My sister, Ene and her husband were instrumental in many ways to give me comfort in Jos and encouragement. Uncle Raphael Igomu, and Ajuma Igomu assisted a lot during the preparation of this thesis. Most times, I had to rely on them for my printouts. vi To my Director General, Dr. Silas Yisa, of the National Broadcasting Commission, who gave me approval to prosecute this programme, I owe a lot of gratitude. To Mr. Mark Ojiah, Head of Public Affairs, I thank for his encouragement. Mr. Eddy Aina, Head of Operations, NBC, read through the manual and offered very useful suggestions. To my former Zonal Director, Mrs Bunmi Cole, Mr. Chris Okoyomoh, I thank for their understanding when I had to take some time off. My colleagues in the office, Mrs Ojone Otonoku, Kehinde Banjo, Segun Oluyole, Mr. Stalinus Aneke, Engr. Kareem Morufu, Sunday Omoge, Jumoke Coker, Lilian Okoro, Juliet Akuagbazie, Abu Siaka, James Shaibu, I thank for their assistance in different ways. To John Odah, Secretary General of the Nigeria labour Congress, and Smart Adeyemi, National President, Nigeria Union Of Journalists, Dr. Okwute Aba of English Department and Dr. Umar Pate, Mass Communication Department both of University of Maiduguri, I thank for their useful contributions. To my friends, Group Captains S.J Audu and T.O Araki, I owe a lot for their kindness. To my brothers and sisters, particularly Agada Onoja and Abogonye Onoja and many others too numerous to mention, who have assisted in different ways, and encouraged me to complete this programme, God will continue to manifest his good works in their lives. Igomu Onoja August 2005. vii CONTENTS PAGES TITLE PAGE i APPROVAL PAGE ii SUBMISSION iii DEDICATION iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF TABLES x LIST OF FIGURES xi CONTENTS xii ABSTRACT xvii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM 5 1.3 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 9 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 20 1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH 21 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH 22 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS 23 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 HISTORY OF NIGERIAN MEDIA 25 viii PAGES 2.1.1 Military Regimes and Control of the Newspapers 31 2.1.2 History of Broadcasting in Nigeria 39 2.1.3 Emergence of Television in Nigeria 43 2.1.4 Military Regimes and Broadcasting Control 55 2.2 NBC AND EMERGENCE OF PRIVATE BROADCASTING IN NIGERIA 60 2.3 MASS MEDIA AND THE NIGERIAN POWER STRUCTURE 67 2.4 MEDIA AND OWNERSHIP 75 2.4.1 Ownership and control in Nigeria 78 2.5 GLOBALISATION AND THE MEDIA 88 2.5.1 Globalisation and the Nigerian Media 96 2.6 COMERCIALISATION AND PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING 100 2.7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 111 2.7.1 Class Struggle within the State 115 2.7.2 Political Economy of the Nigerian State and the Media 119 2.7.3 The State, Mass Media in Post Colonial Nigeria 122 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN AND INSTRUMENTATION 127 3.2 SETTING OF PRIMARY SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION 129 ix PAGES 3.2.1 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) 129 3.2.2 Selection of Respondents for FGDs 130 3.2.3 Semi Structured Interviews (SSI) 132 3.2.4 Selection of Respondents for SSI 133 3.2.5 Limitations of FGDs and SSI 134 3.3 SECONDARY SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION 137 3.3.1 Content Analyses 137 3.3.2 Selection of stations for content analyses 137 3.3.3 Selection of news items for content analyses 138 3.3.4 The purchase of Broadcast Rights of Mali 2002 139 3.3.5 Fuel Price increase and the NLC strike 139 3.3.6 Electoral Bill Controversy of December 2001 141 3.3.7 Motion for the impeachment of President 142 3.4 SCORING 146 3.4.1 Attention Scores 146 3.4.2 Prominence 146 3.4.3 Duration 148 3.4.4 Depth of Reportage 149 3.4.5 Follow up Reports 149 3.4.6 Language 150 x PAGES 3.4.7 Footages 150 3.4.8 Limitations of Content analyses 151 3.5 DATA ANALYSES 152 3.5.1 Procedure for Test of Hypotheses 154 3.5.2 Linking Objectives with Methodology 157 CHAPTER FOUR: OWNERSHIP AND REPORTAGE IN TELEVISION STATIONS 4.1 OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL 158 4.1.1 Coverage of Mali 2002 Nation’s Cup Broadcast Right 164 4.1.2 The Fuel Price increase and NLC strike 168 4.1.3 Coverage of the motion on Impeachment of the President 176 4.1.4 Coverage of the Electoral Bill controversy 185 CHAPTER FIVE: SOCIAL STRUCTURE, DEREGULATION AND REPORTAGE OF NEWS IN TELEVISION STATIONS 5.1 NIGERIAN SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND NEWS REPORTAGE 205 5.2 DEREGULATION AND NEWS REPORTAGE 213 CHAPTER SIX: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 6.1 SUMMARY 219 xi PAGES 6.2 DISCUSSION 220 6.2.1 The State, Legitimation and Power 220 6.2.2 Ownership and Domination 231 6.2.3 Deregulation and Mental Production 234 6.3 CONTRIBUTION OF STUDY TO KNOWLEDGE 237 6.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY 238 6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS 239 BIBLIOGRAPHY 242 APPENDIX ONE: SSI GUIDE FOR MANAGERS OF STATIONS 259 APPENDIX TWO: FGD GUIDE FOR VIEWERS 262 APPENDIX THREE: FGD GUIDE FOR STAFF OF STATIONS 263 APPENDIX FOUR: RAW DATA FOR CONTENT ANALYSES 265 APPENDIX FIVE: MAJOR NEWSPAPERS IN NIGERIA AS AT DECEMBER 2004 272 APPENDIX SIX: BROADCAST STATIONS IN NIGERIA AS AT DECEMBER 2004 273 APPENDIX SEVEN: ANOVA TABLE 280 xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABN Association for Better Nigeria. AD Alliance for Democracy AG Action Group AFP Agence France Press ANPP All Nigeria Peoples Party ANC American Network Company AP Associated Press AIT African Independent Television BBC British Broadcasting Corporation. BON Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria BCNN Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria BPTV Benue Plateau Television CNN Cable Network News CTV City Television (Kano) DBS Direct Broadcast by Satellite (Cable) DTH Direct to Home (Satellite Television) ENBS Enugu Broadcasting Service ENBS(TV) Enugu Broadcasting Service (Television) FRCN Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria GTV Gongola Television IMF International Monetary Fund ITPAN Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria. xiii LTV Lagos Television MTV Midwest Television MAMSER Mass Mobilization for Social and Economic Recovery MMDS Microwave Multipoint Distribution System NTA Nigeria Television Authority NBC National Broadcasting Commission NBC Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (Statutory name which NBS was changed to). NBS Nigerian Broadcasting Service NCNC National Council for Nigeria and Cameroon NNDP New Nigeria Democratic Party NPC Northern People’s Congress NGO Non-Governmental Organization NTS Nigeria Television Service NWICO New World Information and Communication Order OGBC Ogun Broadcasting Corporation OSRV Ondo State Radiovision PRTV Plateau Radio and Television PSB Public Service Broadcasting P&T Post and Telegraph RCP Royal Commission of the Press RFI Radio France International xiv RTK Radio and Television, Kaduna SAP Structural Adjustment Programme TCPC Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialization TNC Trans-National Corporation TSOS Television Service of Oyo State. UNDP Untied Nigeria Democratic Party NPI Untied Press Institute UPN Unity Party of Nigeria UPP United People’s Party VOA Voice of America WNBS Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service WNTV Western Nigeria Television WTO World Trade Organization. xv LIST OF TABLES PAGES TABLE 1 Summary of FGDs and SSI 136 TABLE 2: Summary of Cassettes Previewed 145 Table 3: Linking Objectives With Methods 157 Table 4: Summary of All Coverages Of Controversy Of Coverage Rights 167 Table 5: Summary of All Coverages Of Fuel Price Strike 175 Table 6: Summary of All Coverages Of Motion On Impeachment Of the President 184 Table 7: Summary of All Coverages Of Electoral Bill Controversy 191 Table 8: Summary Of All Coverages 193 Table 9: Difference In The Reportage Of Controversy Of Coverage Rights 194 Table 10: Difference In The Reportage Of Fuel Price Strike 195 Table 11: Difference In The Reportage Of Impeachment of The President 198 Table 12: Difference In The Reportage Of Electoral Bill Controversy 202 xvi LIST OF FIGURES PAGES Figure 1: Ownership structure of Broadcast Stations 64 Figure 2: Number of Broadcast Stations as at December 65 Figure 3: Newspaper Ownership as at December 2004 66 xvii ABSTRACT This study investigated how ownership of television stations, the social structure of the Nigerian society and the deregulation of the broadcasting industry influence the reportage and presentation of news on television in the country.