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| Nigeria Tribune Awareness Campaign on Covid-19 and Audience Response to Health Information |
Olagoke Olawale Israel, Jolapamo, Bolanle Samuel, Dr. Lawal Mojeed Kolawole
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Abstract:
This study examined Nigerian Tribune newspaper reportage of COVID-19 pandemic as a means to creating awareness for audience responses to health information from December, 2019 to May, 2020. The study sought to know whether Nigerian newspapers reported covid-19 promptly as a means to create early awareness before its emergence in Nigeria; determine the frame adopted by Nigerian newspapers in reporting covid-19 as a means of creating early awareness; find out the prominence given to the reportage of covid-19 stories by Nigerian newspapers to create awareness; examine audience perception of Nigerian newspapers reportage of covid-19 as means for early public awareness of the virus; and to know whether Nigerian newspapers reportage of covid-19 as a means of awareness creation spurs audience preparedness to curb the spread of the virus. Adopting quantitative researchmethod, survey design and content analysis were used for this study with a population of 205, 274, 914 for the survey design part, and 122 Nigerian Tribune newspaper was content analysed within the period of four months- December, 2019 to March, 2020. More so, a sample size of 427 was drawn from the populationfor survey using the Relief App sample size calculator out of which only 128 online respondents responded to the google survey and was used for the study. However, census was adopted in the case of content analysis as the entire 122 editions of the newspaper was analysed. An online questionnaire was created through google.doc as instrument for survey design; code manual and code sheet were also used for content analysis. The data gathered were analysed using SPSS and interpreted in frequency and percentage distribution table. Findings however showed that Nigerian Tribune reported covid-19 before its emergence in the country; frame of reportage was informative thereby giving statistics and record of events as they occur; Nigerian Tribune newspaper placed serious importance to reportage of this virus; created public knowledge and awareness about the virus through early reportage, and; however, the respondents are of the view thatearly reportage of the virus had impact on government in policy making but made little or no impact on the people in taking preventive actions.The study therefore recommended that though the efforts of the print media professionals cannot be jettisoned in reporting health matters irrespective of the challenges they face in discharging their social role. Nonetheless, a more compelling form of reportage that would engage the public in taking actions in the right direction should be engaged in feature writing, editorials, commentaries and opinions as this is believed to have more detailed views and position on serious health problems such as covid-19 pandemic.
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