1 NIGERIAN PRESS COVERAGE OF THE ARAB SPRING: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF SIX NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS. BY OKEKE, NNENNA GRACE PG/MA/10/57915 A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS DEGREE IN MASS COMMUNICATION. SUPERVISOR: DR. N. M. OKORO OCTOBER 2012 2 CERTIFICATION This research project is an original work of Okeke, Nnenna Grace with registration number PG/MA/10/57915. It satisfies the requirements for presentation of research report in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. _________________________ ______________ Dr. N. M. Okoro Date Project Supervisor ________________________ ______________ Dr. N. M. Okoro Date Head of Department ________________________ _______________ External Examiner Date 3 DEDICATION To Mum and Dad of the blessed memory. May your gentle souls continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT So numerous are those who encouraged me in the course of this research work. To my mum, Late Mrs. Nwannediya Mlewemchianya Okeke, the woman of my heart, you are always there for me. Though, this work you live not to see, still you are the best. I will never forget you. My project supervisor, Dr. N. M. Okoro, I cannot wait for heaven to thank you for your advice and for the idea to get started in the right direction. If I have accomplished any success in this work, it was because you sacrificed your time and intellect. The enormous attention you paid to this research made it a huge success. I also remain grateful to my lecturers without whom I would not have any knowledge to offer, they include: Dr. N. M. Okoro, Dr. C. S. Akpan, Dr. Ray. Udeaja, Dr. Greg Ezea, Prof. I.S. Ndolo, Mr. L. I. Anorue, Miss E. U. Ohaja, Mr. C. A. Ekwueme, Mr. E. C. Nnaji, and Mr. M. Ukonu. Your inspiring lectures have contributed so much in shaping my academic life. Thanks a million times. To Omisore Olasunkanmi, you are a friend indeed. Your financial support has been tremendous, may you be blessed by God abundantly. My brother-colleagues, Kingsley Nnabugwu, Theophilus Anoliefo and Edwin Okafor, thank you for your words of encouragement. Finally, I remain indebted to Nnamdi Azikiwe Library of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Bishop Uzodike Memorial Seminary’s library, Nnewi, The Guardian, The Nation, ThisDay and Sun Newspapers’ libraries in Lagos, Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers’ libraries in Abuja for providing me with research materials. Okeke, Nnenna Grace, The Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Arts, School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- i Certification ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ii Dedication ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- iii Acknowledgement ----- ----- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- iv Table of Contents ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- v List of Tables ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- vii Abstract ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 1 1.2 Statement of Problem ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 9 1.3 Objectives of Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 9 1.4 Research Questions ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 10 1.5 Significance of the Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 11 1.6 Scope of Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 11 1.7 Delimitations of the Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 11 1.8 Definition of Terms ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 12 References ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 14 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Focus of Review ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 16 2.2 An overview of Nigerian Press Coverage of the Arab spring-----` ----- 16 2.3 International Press Coverage of Developing Nations ----- ----- ----- 22 2.4 Nigerian Press Coverage of Africa in Context ----- ----- ----- 27 2.5 The Press and Crisis Management ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 29 2.6 Theoretical Framework ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 37 2.6.1. The Emancipatory Media Theory ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 38 2.6.2. The Gate-Keeping Theory ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 38 2.6.3 The Agenda Setting Theory ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- 40 2.7 Summary of the Literature Reviewed ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 41 References ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 42 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design ----- ------ ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 45 3.2 Population of Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 46 3.3 Period of Study ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 48 3.4 Sampling Technique ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 49 3.5 Sample Size ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 50 3.6 Instrument for Data Collection ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 51 3.7 Unit of Analysis ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 51 3.8 Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments ----- ----- ----- 55 3.9 Method of Data Analysis ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 56 3.10 Limitations of the Methodology ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 56 References ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 57 6 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 4.1 Description of the Sample ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 58 4.2 Data Presentation and Analysis----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 59 4.3 Discussion of Findings ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 73 References ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 79 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 80 5.2 Conclusion ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 81 5.3 Recommendations ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 82 Bibliography ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 84 Appendix 1 Coding Guide ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 90 Appendix 2 Code sheet for The Guardian newspaper ------ ----- 91 Appendix 3 Code sheet for The Nation newspaper ----- ----- 93 Appendix 4 Code sheet for ThisDay newspaper ----- ----- ----- 95 Appendix 5 Code sheet for Sun newspaper ----- ----- ----- 97 Appendix 6 Code sheet for Daily Trust newspaper ----- ----- 99 Appendix 7 Code sheet for Leadership newspaper ----- ----- 101 7 LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS Tables 1. Description of the Sample 2. The volume of coverage of the Arab spring in the six newspapers under study. 3. Topics covered by the six newspapers under study. 4. The news sources of published items in the six newspapers. 5. The direction of news coverage of each of the six newspapers under study. 6. The total direction of news coverage in the six newspapers under study. 7. The position of stories in each of the six newspapers under study. 8. The overall position of stories in the six newspapers. 9. The score index for headline column. 10. The score index for length of stories. 11. The story genre of each news papers under study. 12. The comparison of position of stories in the six newspapers under study. 13. The comparison of direction of news in the six newspapers under study. Charts Figure 1: Chart showing the volume of coverage of the Arab spring in the six newspapers under study Figure 2: Chart showing the topics covered by the six newspapers under study. Figure 3: Chart showing the news sources of the published items in the six newspapers. Figure 4: Chart showing the total direction of news coverage in the six newspapers under study. Figure 5: Chart showing the position of stories in the six newspapers under study. Figure 6: Chart showing the score index for headline column. Figure 7: Chart showing the score index for length of stories. 8 ABSTRACT This study was set to examine the Nigerian press coverage of the Arab spring. It analyzed the content of six Nigerian newspapers: The Guardian, The Nation, ThisDay, Sun, Daily Trust and Leadership newspapers in their coverage of the Arab Spring from January 2011 to December 2011. The researcher systematically selected a sample of 720 issues of the six newspapers to generate data for the study. 46 issues do not have stories on the Arab spring while 674 issues have stories on the Arab spring. Therefore, a total sample of 674 issues that yielded 2162 stories were analyzed. The major findings of the study are that the direction of news coverage of the Arab spring is unfavourable and the Nigerian press still depends on the foreign media and the international wire services for coverage of events in Africa and other developing countries of the world. The study discovered that the Nigerian press portrayed the Arab spring in bad light. Also the international news flow is still from the west to the south. The implication is that, as long as the African media depend on the western media to cover events in Africa, the slant of coverage will always be unfavourable. It was recommended among other things that the Nigerian media houses should scrutinize news from the international news agencies before publication. They should also reawaken the existing links and cooperation with the press of other African countries in order to achieve adequate coverage of Africa and other developing nations. 9 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY In the contemporary world, there are crises of violence, threats of violence and wars either internally or by external aggression. The series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa have become