Newspaper Framing of Political News and Public Opinion in Osun State, Nigeria
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examined how the Nigerian newspapers frame political news and public opinion. The objectives specifically examined the dominant frame, political themes, tone and public opinion of political issues. A Mixed-method research design was adopted for this study. While content analysis was used to observe political framing in The Punch, Vanguard, The Nation, and The Guardian newspapers published between January and December 2024, a survey was adopted to measure the perceptions of 400 readers regarding the newspapers' framing of political issues. Results indicated that the most dominant frames were conflict and economic consequences (20.3% and 19.2%), with The Punch and The Guardian showing stronger usage. Further results showed that newspaper framing of political issues altered readers' public opinion and perceptions of those issues (73.5%). The study concluded that the Nigerian press should adopt a more balanced framing by incorporating underutilised perspectives, such as the human-interest and interpretative reporting, to help the media audience with their understanding of political issues.
Downloads
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Abdulazeez, I., Ekhareafor, D., & Asemah, E. S. (2024). Textual analysis of political othering in select Nigerian newspapers during the 2023 election campaigns. International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research, 2(3), 453–468. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13863052
Abubakre, F. I. (2024). Negativity coverage matters: Media framing of intraparty conflicts and opposition in the 2023 Nigerian presidential electoral campaigns. Covenant Journal of Communication, 11(2). https://journals.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/cjoc/article/view/4887
Adedeji, A. O. (2025). Social media, fake news and interpretation of news content among political science undergraduates, University of Ibadan and Redeemer’s University. Journal of Behavioural Studies, 6(1), 25–43. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393427484_SOCIAL_MEDIA_FAKE_NEW_AND_INTERPRETATION_OF_NEWS_CONTENTAjakaiye, O. O. P., Oloyede, I. B., Adelabu, O., Talabi, F. O., Sanusi, B. O., Ojeka-John, R. O., &
Ayantunji, K. A.-A. (2024). Nigerians’ perception of newspaper framing of COVID-19 stories and adherence to government’s containment policy (2020–2021). Newspaper Research Journal, 45(3), 370–383. https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329241248760
Ajetunmobi, U. O. (2023). Media framing and construction of socio-political issues in Nigeria: (Dis)connection between theory and professional ethics? Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioural Research, 7(2), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.30935/mjosbr/13053
Akpojivi, U. U., & Aiseng, K. (2022). Framing of political leaders during the #BringBackOurGirls campaign by the Nigerian press: A comparative study of Guardian and Vanguard newspapers. Frontiers in Communication, 7, Article 853673. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.853673
Abwami, M. I., & Shahid, I. J. (2024). Media framing of political instability and its impact on developmental policies in West Africa. African Journal of Stability & Development, 16(2), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.53982/ajsd.2024.1602.02-j
Bamgboye, P. O., Uranta, B. I., & Feremo, E. (2026). Ethnicity and voter behaviour in Nigerian presidential elections: Implications for democratic consolidation, 2011–2023. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 17(4). https://doi.org/10.36941/mjss-2026-0112
Bastien, F. (2020). Using parallel content analysis to measure mediatisation of politics: The televised leaders’ debates in Canada, 1968–2008. Journalism, 21(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884917751962
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
Goffman, E. (1974). Frame analysis: An essay on the organization of experience. Harvard University Press. https://books.google.com.ng/books?id=XBpmAAAAIAAJ
Ifeoluwa, J., Nasir, M. J., & Maiwada, A. A. (2026). Social media and voter mobilization during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections: An analysis of political campaign strategies and citizen engagement. Polit Journal, 6(2), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21151136
Layinka, Y., & Owoeye, J. (2024). Framing the national question: The role of Nigeria’s media and political elites. Lead City Journal of the Social Sciences, 9(2). https://journals.lcu.edu.ng/journals/lead-city-journal-of-the-social-sciences/volume/9/article/framing-the-national-question-the-role-of-nigerias-media-and-political-elites
Nwankwo, C. J., & Ibrahim, S. M. (2021). Religious bias and media reporting of Nigerian elections: An analysis of print media. Journal of Political Communication, 15(4), 112–130.
Obukoadata, P. R., Okon, P. E., & Obogo, L. (2024). Exploration into usage, frequency, and prominence of propaganda devices by political parties in Nigerian newspapers during the2019 electioneering campaigns. Newspaper Research Journal, 45(1), 90–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329231213035
Ogbwude, P. C., & Onyeka, I. B. (2020). The role of media in political campaigns: Ethnic and religious framing in Nigerian elections. Journal of Communication Studies, 18(2), 45–63.
Ojebuyi, B. R., & Salawu, A. (2018a). Partisanship and selective reporting in Nigerian newspapers’ coverage of elections. Journal of African Media Studies. http://ir.library.ui.edu.ng/handle/123456789/5711
Ojebuyi, B. R., & Salawu, A. (2018b). Whose news? Media capture, ownership structures, and the crisis of journalistic independence in Nigeria. Taraba State University Journal of Communication and Media Studies, 5(1), 35–49. https://tsujcms.org.ng/index.php/home/article/view/44
Oko-Epelle, L., Ajakaiya, O. P., Ariyo, D. K., & Olaleye, M. (2026). Influence of editorial autonomy on Nigerian journalists’ job satisfaction: Applying Herzberg’s and self determination theories. LASU Postgraduate School Journal, 3(1), 55–56. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18501635
Okonkwo, C. N. (2025). Ethnicity, religion, and voting behaviour in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Journal of African Elections, 15(2), 1–26.
Oloyede, I. B., & Owolabi, A. M. (2024). Newspaper framing of political parties’ primaries in the run-off to Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. ESP International Journal of Science, Humanities & Management Studies, 2(1), 35–47. https://www.espjournals.org/IJSHMS/ijshms-v2i1p104
Osisanwo, A., & Iyoha, O. (2020). “We are not terrorist, we are freedom fighters”: Discourse representation of the pro-Biafra protest in selected Nigerian newspapers. Discourse & Society, 31(6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926520939687
Oyenuga, A., & Akinbode, M. (2020). Framing of political campaigns in Nigerian newspapers. Nigerian Journal of Communication, 17(1), 78–90.
Reuters. (2024a, July 24). Nigeria’s government seeks more time to end hardships as protests loom. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerias-government-seeks-more-time-end-hardships-protests-loom-2024-07-24/
Reuters. (2024b, August 1). At least 3 killed in Nigeria at protests over high cost of living. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerian-police-fire-tear-gas-disperse-protesters-abuja-witnesses-2024-08-01/
Scheufele, D. A. (1999). Framing as a theory of media effects. Journal of Communication, 49(1), 103–122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1999.tb02784.x
Schramm, W. (1954). How communication works. In W. Schramm (Ed.), The process and effects of mass communication (pp. 3–26). University of Illinois Press.
Stylianos, P., & Giannouli, M. (2025). Political communication in the age of platform. Encyclopedia, 5(2), Article 7. https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/5/2/7
Tejedor, S., & Cervi, L. (2022). Mediatisation: Examining newspaper coverage of the 2015 and 2019 Nigerian presidential election campaigns [Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona].
Ukonu, M. O., & Ajaero, I. D. (2017). Newspaper framing of incumbent president and challenger in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election. Covenant Journal of Communication, 4(2). https://journals.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/index.php/cjoc/article/view/755
Umar, A. (2020). Ethnicity and voting behaviour in Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election. Journal of African Elections, 19(2), 1–24.
Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper & Row. https://books.google.com.ng/books?id=Wr7rAAAAMAAJ