CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The mass media plays a prominent role in information dissemination. The print media and newspapers cover activities of anti-corruption on the pages of newspapers online and offline. There is a total system collapse in Nigeria with regard to corruption. (Adegbamigbe, 2012.
One of the major issues that the newspapers report daily is corruption. According to Salisu (2000:68), the simplest definition of corruption is that ‘it is the misapplication of public resources to private ends. For example, public officials may collect bribes for issuing passports or visas, providing permits and licenses, authorizing passage of goods at sea/airport, awarding contracts or enacting regulations designed to create artificial scarcity. Macrae 1982:28, on the other hand, sees corruption as “an arrangement that involves an exchange between two parties (the demander and the supplier) which (i) has an influence on the allocation of resources either immediately or in the future, and (ii) involves the use or abuse of public or collective responsibility for private ends.” Sternberg (2000:43) relates corruption with bribery when he states that a “bribe is an incentive offered to encourage someone to break the rules of the organization he nominally represents and deliver an (unfairly) favorable outcome.”
Corruption remains a symptom of a poorly functioning state as witnessed in most developing countries such as Nigeria. Indeed, those who give and receive bribes can drain a nation’s wealth, leaving little for its poorest citizens. Highly corrupt countries like Nigeria often face particular challenges even when controlled by reform-minded rulers.
The history of corruption in Nigeria is strongly rooted in the over 29 years of military rule. All the military regimes subdued the rule of law, facilitated the looting of the public treasury, prohibited free speech, and instituted a secret culture in the running of government business. The period of the military regime witnessed a total reversal and destruction of every good thing in the country (Ribadu, 2006. Corruption became the leading guiding principle for running the affairs of the country. When the military seized power from democratically elected governments, pervasive corruption was cited as the justification. Military regimes were worse than civilian regimes as far as corruption was concerned.
Nigeria has a diverse media landscape comprising online and print newspapers that play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing political discourse. Understanding how these media platforms cover anti-corruption efforts provides insights to the effectiveness of communication strategies and their impact on public perception. BAT’s administration came into power with promises of reform and anti-corruption measures. Evaluating media coverage of the Government's anti-corruption initiatives within this political context helps assess the administration's performance, accountability, and public trust. The media raises public awareness about corruption, its causes, consequences, and possible remedies.
The root of this study is to assess the volume of coverage of President BAT’s administration’s fight against corruption in Nigeria by The Sun and Premium Times newspapers. This is to examine how newspapers, through their coverage, corruption by enlightening the public on the negative effects of corruption
1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
The negative impacts of corruption in the lives of nations throughout the world can be seen by a blind person. Corruption is perhaps the most important factor that is impeding the accelerated socio-economic transformation of developing or less developing countries (LDCs) of the world. It is recognized by development scholars that the level of reduction in corruption has a very direct link to the level of economic development of nations in the world.
The media have been identified as a very important weapon to fight the scourge of corruption worldwide. In Nigeria, the independent press, by which we refer to the newspapers and news magazines, has been actively involved in checking the excesses of governments and as well as others in positions of authority. Of course, the story of the Nigerian mass media, especially the print press, can be said to be a story of struggle since the late nineteenth century when the first newspaper Iwe Iroyin Yoruba was established in Abeokuta, present-day Ogun State. The coming of newspapers like the Comet of Mr. Ali, the Egyptian, the West African Pilot founded by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, and later the Nigerian Tribune of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, among others, notched up the opposition to colonial struggle especially against perceived undue dominance, bad governance, injustice and corruption of the time.
Corruption is indeed a worldwide phenomenon; elements of corruption are found in almost all countries of the world. However, it must be said that the incidences of corruption are much more prevalent in developing countries like Nigeria. As noted by Anderson, James H. et al (1999) in ‘The Impact of Corruption on the Poor in Transition Countries’, "The conditions of these countries are such that corruption is likely to have different causes and consequences than in more developed countries. The socio-economic conditions in low-income countries are more conducive to the growth of corruption. Corruption is a symptom of deep-rooted economic and political weaknesses and shortcomings in the legislative and judicial system of the country. To aggravate the situation, accountability in these countries is generally weak, the chances of being caught are small and the penalties when caught are light"
Nigeria hopes to become one of the 20 most developed economies in the world by the year 2024. The fight against corruption must be one of the topmost priorities of the Government at all levels.
Journalists must be well equipped with adequate Investigative Journalism skills to navigate the complex web of highly sophisticated corruption crimes. Since corruption perpetrators are more often than not highly positioned individuals, journalists must have the necessary training to obtain facts and figures to blow the whistle on corrupt practices.
The main function of the newspaper is to tell its readers what is happening in the world, including the country, the state, the town or city, and the locality.
Therefore, this research seeks to determine the level at which the online and print media cover the fight against corruption in BAT’s administration between July 2023 to February 2024 using Premium Times newspaper and the Sun newspapers as case studies.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The basic objective of this study is to determine the newspaper coverage of anti-corruption campaign activities in Nigeria. Specifically, the study seeks:
- To determine the frequency of corruption in the Sun and Premium times newspaper coverage in Nigeria
- To examine the prominence attached to the coverage of corruption in the Sun and Premium times newspaper in Nigeria
- To evaluate the comparison in the Sun and Premium times newspaper coverage in Nigeria
- To determine the source of the information used in the reportage in the sun and premium times newspaper coverage
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To provide a framework for eliciting solutions to the research problems, some research questions must be formulated. Several research questions are hereby given below for this reason.
1. What is the frequency of corruption in the Sun and Premium Times newspapers?
2. What is the prominence attached to the coverage of corruption in the Premium Times and Sun newspapers?
3. What is the comparison between the Premium Times and Sun newspapers' coverage of corruption in Nigeria?
- What are the source of the information used in the reportage in the sun and premium times newspaper coverage
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The study will be of immense importance to both the Nigerian media and the masses who are of course the media consumers. The media are conventionally said to be the watchdog of society who not only entertain but enlighten and inform on what is happening near and far.
The findings of the study can also provide policymakers with insights into how their anti-corruption initiatives are perceived and portrayed by the media and the public. This can inform strategic decisions and adjustments to enhance the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures.
By examining the depth, frequency,types of story, prominence of coverage The study highlights areas where media outlets report on the fight against corruption.
The media would hardly be informing and enlightening the public: if they don’t cover reports and even broadcast daily happenings, if they do not examine and investigate irregularities and report findings, and if they do not create avenues for the public to contribute their own opinion as part of corporate citizenship, thus helping everybody to feel part of society development.
To that end, the findings of this work will reveal whether the media have been living up to expectations in the area of anti-corruption campaigns. If in the end, the reports revealed that the media have not been measuring up, it then requires that the next study be on how to make the media live up to their roles.
On the completion of this project, the result will benefit academics, students of communication studies and other researchers that may want to carry out further research on this study. It can add to the existing body of literature on media, governance and corruption by providing empirical evidence and insights into media dynamics and their implications for anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria and beyond.
1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY
This research topic is on “An Assessment of Online and Print Newspapers Coverage of President BAT’s Administration Fight against Corruption in Nigeria”(A case Study of the Premium Times Online Newspaper and The Sun Newspapers from July 2023 to February 2024). This study will focus on the coverage of the fight against corruption, propagation.
One of the study's restrictions is money, in order to do a standard research funds must be used at all times. When conducting research, time is also an issue because the researcher has other projects to complete throughout the study period.
1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY
The limitation of the study among other things includes:
Media coverage may be influenced by factors beyond the administrations control such as economic interest or political affiliation which could affect the accuracy and objectivity of the study .
Findings from the study may not be generalizable to the entire population or reflective of broader public opinion due to the selective nature of media coverage and diversity of viewpoints within society.
Temporal constraint : The study’s time frame from July 2023 to February 2024 may not capture the full spectrum of anti-corruption initiatives or significant developments within President BAT’s administration potentially overlooking later events.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
It is important to give a brief definition of the following key terms, to know the meaning of the key concept and some words in this research.
- Media: It is the same as mass media. The mass media are the modern channels of mass communication used to disseminate news, and information to every diverse cum large number of people simultaneously” (Ukozor, 2003) they are the electronic media (Radio-television and films) and print media (Newspapers, magazines, and book
- Anti-Corruption: All activities of individuals or groups of individuals that include initiatives, policies, campaigns, and programs that are against corruption in Nigeria. There are also the discussed ideas and opinions of individuals or groups of individuals against corruption who see and perceive corruption as a bad practice. It also includes the activities of anti-corruption and financial crimes agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and the efforts of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to mitigation of corruption in Nigeria.
- Assessment: Studying to find a definite statistical value attached to a particular thing. It also means to check the value or rating of a thing.
- Campaign: A series of media activities geared towards achieving a particular goal or publicity. It can be in the form of programmes whether in broadcast or in print.
- Corruption: Unethical or illegal practices involving misuse of public office or entrusted authority for personal gain, including bribery, embezzlement, fraud, nepotism, and other forms of abuse of power that undermine the integrity and fairness of governance and public institutions.
- Coverage: In this study, coverage refers to newspaper reports of anti-corruption issues in the forms of straight news, editorials, feature articles, cartoons, and column sections of the newspaper
