Media
By Anthony Isibor
AN independent study by the International Press Centre has placed Realnews Magazine Online Publication first among four other online portals that were monitored, including the Cable, the Premium Times, and Eagle Online.
The study, which is a review of the media monitoring reports on the coverage of 2023 electoral process, was conducted from October 2022 when the political campaigns began and takes into study 14 selected media outlets in total.
The study also covered 10 print media, including Punch, The Guardian, Daily Sun, Vanguard, ThisDay, Nigerian Tribune, The Nation, Leadership, Daily Trust, and Daily Independent.
While the report placed Realnews first in the Online media, Vanguard came first in the print.
According to the report of the study, out of the total 804 relevant editorials found in the four online newspapers monitored, RealNews Magazine published the highest with 236 (29.4%), followed by Eagle Online, 225 reports (28%), Premium Times, 181 reports (22.5%) and The Cable, 162 reports (20.1%).
Similarly, out of 2,180 editorial items found relevant in the 10 selected print newspapers monitored, Vanguard came top with 295 reports, (13.5%), followed by Leadership, 282 (13%) and Daily Independent, 280 (12.9%), Daily Sun, 272(12.5%); The Guardian, 232, (10.7%); The Punch, 190(8.7%); The Nation, 186 (8.5%); Daily Trust, 164 (7.5%); Nigerian Tribune, 149 (6.8%) and ThisDay, 130 (6%).
The report, which was presented by Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, FMNIP, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, is part of the activities being implemented by the International Press Centre IPC, Lagos-Nigeria under Component 4: Support to Media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria-Phase 2 (EU-SDGN II) Project.
According to the report of the study, out of the total 804 relevant editorials found in the four online newspapers monitored, RealNews Magazine published the highest with 236 (29.4%), followed by Eagle Online, 225 reports (28%), Premium Times, 181 reports (22.5%) and The Cable, 162 reports (20.1%).
The format of the online reports also showed that out of the 804 online stories monitored, 741 stories (92.2%) were published as News, while 25 stories (3%) were published as Features. There were 16 photo News (2%) and 14 stories published as Interviews (1.7%). Others include Videos, 6 (0.75%), Cartoon 1 (0.1%) and Vox Pop, 1 (0.1%). No relevant stories were published as editorials.
The report is part of an eighteen-month media monitoring activity entailing the examination of the trends in print/online media coverage of the 2023 electoral/democratic governance process, including the reportage of post-election issues, campaigns by candidates/political parties; issues of the elections/voting; and post-election/democratic accountability issues. The monitoring also incorporates fact-checking as well as the documentation of the campaign promises of the presidential candidates.
The study also focused on media monitoring activity entailing the examination of the trends in print/online media coverage of the 2023 electoral/democratic governance process, incorporating fact-checking as well as the documentation of the campaign promises of the presidential candidates, including the reportage of:
· post-election issues.
· campaigns by candidates/political parties.
· issues of the elections/voting.
· post-election/democratic accountability issues.
The scope of the monitoring covered three general indices and four thematic areas for all relevant reports that were published and monitored. The relevant reports refer to news item/stories interviews, features, editorials and photographs on politics, the electoral processes and the 2023 elections in concerned print and online media.
The three general indices are:
· The prominence accorded the relevant reports.
· The reporting format (genre) of the relevant reports;
· The use of sources in the context of diversity of the relevant reports.
The four thematic areas are:
· Professional Coverage – Political Parties;
· Professional Coverage – Conflict Sensitivity, including issues of misinformation and disinformation;
· Professional Coverage – Inclusiveness (define this variable – women, young women, youth, PWDs, (slum dwellers, people in hard to reach areas) and related specific issues; and (Coverage of young women)
· Coverage of the Election Management Body (INEC) and related specific issues.
The report also showed that the four online media studied were professional in the coverage of conflict sensitive stories as there were no reports that qualified as hate speech or disinformation.
Although it said that two headlines published by the Cable and the Eagle Online of October 24, 2022, respectively were sensational and therefore non-conflict sensitive, it urged the online media to ensure the sustenance of Professional Coverage – Conflict Sensitivity.
Observations/summary of trends in reportage
In the Online newspapers, it was observed that female/women and other under-represented groups were poorly projected where 12 Female Politicians at 2%, 3 Female Candidates at 0.5%; 2 Women at 0.3%, 6 Youths at 0.9% and 1 PWDs at 0.2% were captured as sources out of 607 were 290 Male Politicians at 47.6% and 169 Male Candidates at 27.8%) were cited as sources.
It also said that among the four online newspapers, only two political parties were most reported.
“While the All Progressives Congress (APC) had the most reports with 237 news items (38%), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was next with 216 reports (34.7%), and the Labour Party (LP) having 119 reports (19%).
“Out of the 669 stories by the four online newspapers, 440 stories (65.8%) focused on campaigns. This was followed by Internal Disputes, 103 stories (15.4%); Inter-party Disputes, 27 stories (4.1%); party primaries, 41 stories (2.4%), while other relevant stories were 87 (13%),” the report said.
IPC expressed the hope that the report will drive the discussion as to how the media can be more professional in the coverage of the 2023 electoral process.
Bellow is the full report
Tags: Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika Realnews magazine
