MASS MEDIA COVERGE OF CRIME IN NIGERIAN NEWSPAPERS, A CONTNENT ANALYSIS OF THE GUARDIAN AND DAILY TIMES NEWS PAPERS
ABSTRACT
One major media ethics is to disseminate information using the various forms of media to reach their teeming audience.
However, considering the fact that this topic examined the “media coverage of crimes” in our society, directing attention towards the control of criminal activities in the society.
However, to ensure that the exposure of illegal activities is one of the surest way of combating this, readers of newspapers and the society at large are bound to enjoy. This crime as they occur in the society are adequately reported, so as to be put into the newspapers, this like case study which was fail and to Guardian and Daily times newspapers both of the have a strong hold on the people as regards crime stories which hope fully the, was able to screened through.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
- Background of study
- Statement of research problem
1.3 Purpose of study
1.4 Research question
1.5 Research hypothesis
1.6 Definition of term conceptual operational
1.7 Assumption
- Scope and limitation
- Theoretical frame works
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature review
2.1 Summary of literature
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Research methodology
- Research method
- Research design
3.3 Research population and sample
3.4 Technique used in determing sample size
3.5 Measuring instrument
3.6 Definition or description of categories
3.7 Story type or treatment
3.8 Method of data collection
3.9 Method of data analysis
3.10 Remedies/solution
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Presentation of data
4.1 Presentation of data and analysis & result
4.2 Data analysis and interpretation
4.3 Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Summary and conclusion
Appendix
Reference
Bibliography
LIST OF TABLE
Table 1 number of crime stories on the front and lack pages and inside page table 11 list of times cases / motive were or stated.
Table 111 classification of length of crime stories or mention.
Table 1v classification of crime stories into straight news and investigation and interpretation report.
Table v number of times remedies or solution were either includes or not.
Table v1 number of times crime stories were features as lead stories.
Table v11 number of times crime stories were accompanies with illustrations of picture.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
“One promise for the suppression of crimes activities is to recognize that lack of awareness and concern by the public is the crimes greatest ally. The efforts of any branch of society directed toward controlled criminal activities will be largely unsuccessful unless the public is made aware of criminal methodology and the magnitude of crimes. Publicity and honest exposure of dry ups source of revenue for an organization engaged in criminal activities. ”
The above statement by Denny F. Face and Jininie c style 1975,pp.89-90 underscores the need for the Nigerian mass media to intensity efforts in crime reporting.
Crimes, whether against person, habitations property morality and decency, public peace, against justice and authority or against public safety, are serious offences which are not only punishable by law but can also seriously hinder the development of a society. In case, crime divest effects of the offender on a negative path toward development.
Crime seems to be accentuated in the society by lack of patience of each new generation to pass the rigorous and arduous process which their parent have passed to attain greatness, other sociological and psychological or every hereditary problem often erupt contribute to crime. For instance, a child who is brought up in the ghetto with not much facilities of leaning or without a good up bringing and grows up exposed to aggregation as a way of life will most likely grow up in an aggregation adult. Because no individual lives in isolation of his/her environment, a child born in a disorderly society where crimes is on the increase will well direct, live to reflect in his/her styles all these abnormities in which he/she is born into . The worry is what are the chance of such an individual brought up in such a conditions ever becoming a good citizen”
There are number of advantage reader of newspaper and the society at large are bound to enjoy if crimes as they occur in society are adequately reported and given the desired pronounce in the pages of newspaper.
Firstly, the citizen are alerted about the made of operation of criminal in order to safeguard themselves from the menace of the criminal.
Secondly, the citizen are educated on the techniques of a crime. This is important, because a large number of Nigeria do not know the law, let alone what constitution a crime .
Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is no excuse and same weight of punishment faces the informed and uninformed citizenry but in the Nigerian situation crimes stories tend not to be given due prominence in the pages of the newspaper. The assumption may be that no other classes of stories have a edged out such crime stories. There is however, an expressed by manifest psychological feeling of Nigerian, toward crimes. The society itself treat criminal with contempt perhaps the preference given to non-crimes by the media arises from the thinking of the practitioner to spot-light issues that will generate larger reader interest.
It is quite clear to us that in our society deviation from agreed social norms and mores are regarded with disdain. Even the ex-convicts are not fully rehabilitated and accepted. Even when crimes are reported in Nigeria newspaper emphasis may or many not be placed on probing the motives of such a crime, stress seems be attached more to the out come or punishment that accompanies such crimes
It is a truism that an intention to comment a crime to one of the essential ingredient of a crime. The motives for a crime should be ascertained by reporting in order to provide clues that will help to reforming the criminal. It is important also to ally the feat that reporting a crime by our mass media may result in lawlessness and increase in waves. This study also recognized that an increase in crimes waves many hinder the economic, political and social advancement of the society.
1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
A more pertinent question is:
- Does the coverage of crimes were the newspaper guide the possible causes of crimes?
- How does a Nigeria newspaper view crime?
3 Do they state possible remedies to these crimes?
4 Does the editorial process of editing and rewriting influence or affect the reporting of crime stories?
5 Does the personalities of the criminal affect the reporting of crimes ?
These and others are the numerous kinds of question which we went to approach in this study, so that a complete answer and resolution of all these question or factors could lead to a presentation and stoppage of crimes .
Some of the causes why crimes are reported the way they are presently or why some crimes stories do not get reported is as follows:
The journalist is an individual who has his or her own biases and in the reported is as follows:
The journalist is an individual who has his or her own biases and in the reported crimes, he first of all decides if his crimes is newsworthy using his own sense of value judgment and other parameter for judging news value like prominence, proximity, consequence, human interest etc. Even when he decides that such a stony is of significance, he also has decide from which angle to approach it what issues to include or exclude in the news storm.
At every stage of the process, the strong has a high probability of changing it’s form at any stage of the process through either being edited (inclusion or exclusion of some facts) or through being totally rewritten.
Some of the consideration at this stage could be who were involved in the crime story. We cannot escape from the fact that newspaper publishing is a business interest of the paper in involved, the story gets omitted completely, re-adjusted so as not hurt them or the names of the individuals involved are completely omitted. The legal involvement of the story is also another primary consideration in the way and manner the story is also reported. The story may be true in every material aspect, but either as a result of Timidity or fear or instigations the story may get meddled up or not adequately reported.
- PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The nonchalant attitude of some media organization in the country to crime reporting is a neglect of the important rote which the press is expected to play in the society. The purpose of this study therefore is to determine the degree of importance mass media. Organization in Nigeria attach to crime reporting.
Another purpose of this study is to highlight the need for proper and frequent reports of criminal events in the country. This is very important as the study aims to set out good guideline for crime reporters in the reporting of crime news
The important of the study Conklin (1970—375) stated that; “fear of crime in a community not only affect the mental well being of residents from the area , but it may also lead to isolation of stranger and new resident from those who have lived in community for longer period of time feeling of not being safe in the area may lead to a deterioration of social solidarity in the community for resident may stay in doors rather than walking on the streets and interact with neighbor” .
The above statement underscored the important of this study. These is need for adequate investigation and interpretation of criminal news event as they occurs, therefore this study will in addition focus on the necessity of regular reporting of the made of operation of criminal. We are doing this on the ground that no good government can fold its hand or pay lip service to the activities of heartless criminal. This is the role, which the press in their social responsibility function are expected to play. The inadequacy of such reports and their lack of objectivity in a print a major concern.
Obviously, crime news stories most of the time are not given the prominence relative to other news stories carried by Nigeria newspaper. This neglect a lots of advantages to be gained by reporting criminal activities regularly and objectively. This study will perhaps help to draw attention to these pages.
- RESEARCH QUESTION
The following research question guided this study:
- What are the effects of reporting crimes in Nigeria newspaper
- Does the coverage of crimes by the newspaper guide the possible covers of crimes?
- Does the editorial process of editing and rewriting influence or affect the reporting of crime stories?
- How does Nigerians newspaper views crimes?
- Does the personality of the criminal affect the reporting of crimes?
- State possible remedies to these crimes?
- RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
H1 only a relatively small percentage crime stories appear on the front and back pages of most Nigerian newspaper .
H0 not only a relatively small percentage crime stories appear on the front and back page of most Nigerian newspaper .
H2 Nigeria newspaper tend to emphasis the problem , motive or caustic of reported crime.
H2 Not all NIgeria newspaper tend to emphasis the problem , motive or cause of reported crime.
H3 Not all newspaper devote enough space to public enlightenment of what constitution a crime .
H4 Crime stories are likely to form the lead stories in the front and back pages of most newspaper.
H4 Not all crime stories are likely to form the lead stories in the front and back pages of most newspaper.
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERM:
CONCEPTUAL & OPERATIONAL
Conceptual: The website reference dictionary of the English language defines coverage as , covering or provision for something by agreement covered communication , the send and receiving areas of radio or TV station the number of readers in an area served by a publication or broadcasting news.
Crime: “crime is defined as an offence for which there is serve punishment by the foolish or wrong act, not necessarily an offence against the law”
Newspaper: A medium of communication usually published daily or weekly, by which information and current affairs opinion and entertainment features are circulated among the people.
Coverage of crime: May be defined to them the publication of news stories concerning or more crimes as defined above.
Criminal acts: criminal acts will be defined as a deliberate intention aimed at committing a crime as defined earlier.
Such crimes and criminal acts are: murder
Burglary, robbery, fraud Kidnapping , embezzlement
Homicide, rot, defamation, arson
Manslaughter, dry trafficking,
Conspiracy, counterfeiting
Food and drug acts
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
CRIMES: Excludes all civil offence but will include all other offence against the state or a person no matter it’s classification
NEWSPAPER: The researchers wish to define newspaper to means “the guardian and the daily times.
COVERAGE: The amount types or nature of stories pertaining period of times in the newspaper understudy.
ASSUMPTION
In this study, the researcher made the following assumption.
- That Nigeria newspaper carries stories relating to crimes in their various editions.
- Nigeria newspaper is an effective instrument that can help in crimes prevention.
- Nigerian press use investigation journalist in coverage of crime in Nigeria.
- It will serve bases for reference future researchers in these areas.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMINATION
As it usual with a study of this nature guardian and daily newspaper, time is always a constraint, in addition to lack of adequate finance to embark on a more extensive study. These limitations have made this research to be limited to a study of two national newspaper am0ong the many newspaper in circulation in the country. This is with the thinking that the finding from this study will give an insight into the coverage of crime stories by other Nigeria newspaper.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The teleological theory also called consequence ethnics (Tschidin, 1992) which can also be referred to as “kind sight” ethnics (Merrill and Lowenstein, 1979)
Considering the fact that the project is concerned about the coverage of crimes in Nigeria, the laws guiding our journalists still puts them in check. If we have to avoid reporting crime in our newspaper or policies station how then are the people going to be aware of the happen ? and how do they get assistance.
This theory mentioned above early is concerned with the good or bad it produce under this theory it gave rise to two other ones which are namely Egonish and the other utilitarianism. The ethnical egoist according to Thiuroux (1980) believes that human being ought to act in their own self – interest.
While the utilitarian says that human being ought to act in the interest of all concerned . You will accept with me that report event especially crime which is for the good of the society and with the assistance of the police such crimes can be arrested.
Having in mind that the laws guiding the press too does not permitted receivable of gift for a job which is rightfully theirs. Whenever to report a police officer misconduct or a contract deal involving a top government official. Such is also criminal. If it involves the life of a citizen, its even worse.
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