Reportage of Prominent Candidates in Selected Newspapers during the 2011 Nigerian Presidential Election

AbstractThe paper examines the reportage of prominent candidates in selected newspapers, the differences in the direction of coverage of 2011 presidential election amidst the prominent presidential candidates and political parties in Nigeria. Framing theory which is an aspect of an agenda setting theory. Framing tell how to think about issues in the news, adopting different devices through the use of selection, emphasis, exclusion and elaboration. Using the method of content analysis, the paper discusses coverage of four major candidates their adequacy of coverage in the selected newspapers news stories, editorials, feature articles were analysed during 2011 presidential election in Nigeria. Results reveal more neutral news on the whole, but tilted in favour of the then incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, who had more aggregate news (positive, neutral and negative); followed by CPC candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. Results show that the newspapers maintained neutrality in their coverage of presidential candidates and parties thus revealing that they are politically non-aligned. Key Words: Election, Presidential, Newspapers, Political Party, Media *Esther Likita Ogba is a Lecturer in the Department of Theatre And Communication Arts, Faculty of Arts, Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, NigeriaJCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 9, No. 2, October 2017, 131 – 141