Abstract

This study examined the prominence given to corruption stories by the Nigerian press using the content analysis method.  The study covered 16 years (May 29, 1995 – May 28, 2011).  Three national daily newspapers – The Punch, Daily Champion and The Guardian, were randomly selected for the study. The composite week method was used to select newspaper editions.  A total of 1,254 newspaper editions were selected and 1,157 (92.3%) editions were found.  A total of 1,443 corruption stories were coded and analyzed. The study revealed that Nigerian press gave prominence to corruption stories as 18.2% of the stories appeared on the front page with 8.2% appearing as lead stories. The study also revealed that Nigerian press mostly depended on the government for its news stories on corruption. Over 60% of the stories reported by the newspapers were sourced from the government and its agencies. The study recommended that Nigerian press should depend less on the government for news stories and should sharpen its skills in investigative journalism.

Key Words: Press Coverage, Corruption, Newspaper, Content Analysis, Investigative Journalism

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*Dr. Tokunbo Alex Adaja, Ph.D. is the Head,  Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol.  8, No. 1, April 2016, 53 – 65