Rise of negative development in Nigeria’s Niger Delta - The correlation between media reportage and kidnapping in Kokori Town, Delta State, Nigeria

Following the new wave of kidnapping in Nigeria which is making people to live in perpetual fear, this study sought to assess the correlation between media reportage and cases of kidnapping in Kokori Inland in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State. The study was anchored on the Agenda Setting and Uses and Gratification Theories. It employed the survey research design and the purposive sampling techniques was adopted as sampling procedure to draw 400 respondents from the total population of Kokori inland which stood at 10, 000 during the last census. Findings reveal that cases of kidnapping were very rampant in Kokori Inland and the incessant media reports on kidnapping helped to reduce incidences of kidnapping. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the media should not relent on their watch dog role and should continually guard ethical and social responsibility jealously. Key Words: Kidnapping, Media Reportage, Kokori, Delta State, Niger Delta *Emmanuel Ejomafuvwe Akpoveta is a lecturer with Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria. JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 8, No. 1, Sp. 1, May 2016, 129 – 137