PRINT MEDIA COVERAGE OF HUMAN RIGHT ISSUES: A STUDY OF SOME SELECT NEWSPAPERS IN NIGERIA
Abstract
Using content analysis, the study examined selected newspapers in Nigeria, with a view to gaining insight into media coverage of Human Rights issues in Nigeria and to underscore the crucial role of the print media in the promotion and protection of the rights of the citizens. Two newspapers: The Guardian and Vanguard were selected through a simple random sampling. The population of the study was 368 editions of the two selected newspapers, covering 184 days (July to December 2016) that make up a six-month period, which is the scope of study. The sample size is 191. Coding schedule was used as the instrument for the collection of Data. The place of the mass media in the promotion of human rights in any given society was x-rayed. The mass media generally can be used to bring about positive attitudinal change on human rights issues in Nigeria. The study identified the basic human rights to include right to life, right to dignity of human beings, right to personal liberty, right to fair hearing, right to compensation from property compulsorily acquired, right to private and family life, among others. The study discover that the Nigerian citizens do not enjoy some of these rights, as they are still trampled upon in most cases. The study shows that Nigerian Newspapers, as represented by the two national dailies studied, do not attach importance to human right issues and have not been very effective in the promotion of human rights in Nigeria. Thus, it proposes specialized pages and publications for the promotion of human rights, training as well as participatory human rights journalism.
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