Print Media Coverage of Supreme Court’s Proceedings in the 2015 Governorship Election Petitions: A Content Analysis of Select Nigerian Newspapers

Abstract

This study analysed the coverage of the Supreme Court Proceedings on 2015 governorship election petitions by Nigerian newspapers. Three objectives which are: to find out the prominence, the space allotted and the frequency of coverage. The period of the coverage was from September 2015 to August 2016. A content analysis research method was adopted in this study. The population was 732 issues drawn from all newspaper issues published daily by select newspapers with 20 percent sample at 146 issues. Drawing from the Gate- keeping theory and the work of two coders, a comprehensive analysis was carried out to identify 74 items in six content categories. Findings showed that the Supreme Court proceedings were not given much prominence, adequate space and high frequency. The conclusion is that the two select newspapers in their social responsibility roles, failed in terms of giving adequate space to the coverage of items, but essentially adhered to basic rules of reporting legal institutions and strengthening support of the Gate-keeping theory in media institutions by publishing what seems fit to publish. The study recommends that newspapers should give emphasize on the promotion of the judiciary by placing judiciary stories on the front pages and ensure coverage of Supreme Court proceedings on election petitions with adequate depth of analysis to aid in interpretation of issues on justice and democracy.