ABSTRACT
This study examines reflections on newspapers coverage of the Nigerian #ENDSARS protest: implications for human right activism. Anchored on the Agenda Theory of Communication, the study was aimed to establish frequency of prominence of stories, direction of stories and dominant theme. The research work selected 183 issues of The Guardian, Vanguard and Punch newspapers using consensus approach and the data from the code sheet were selected, collated and analysed using simple multiplication to arrive at various percentages. The study concluded that Newspapers in Nigeria gave detail accounts on the #EndSARS protest 2020 by presenting them in straight news, pictures, graphics, features, opinion, interview and editorial. These formats of presentation made the citizen to have good knowledge of the protest. Among the three newspapers, The Guardian and Vanguard newspapers covered more of the #EndSARS protest 2020 and Straight news, interviews, opinions, picture, editorial and straight news appeared more on the inside pages followed by front page. The result indicated that The Guardian Newspaper and the Vanguard newspaper reported more on their inside page than Punch newspaper. The study recommended that newspapers in Nigeria should report issues relating to social crisis in a manner that reflects the purpose and causes of the issues so as to educate the parties involved in the crisis for peaceful resolution and the newspaper should remain positive and neutral because of their watch dog function and this will help the media report issue in a manner that will change the society.
