Title: Media Representation Of Child Trafficking In Nigeria: A Study Of The Punch And Nigerian Tribune Newspapers
Authors: Adedokun Adeyemi Benjamin, Dr. W.B. Busari
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
Pages: 316-321
Publication Date: 2025/02/28
Abstract:
This study is focused on media representation of child trafficking in Nigeria: a study of the Punch and Nigerian Tribune Newspapers (January 1st, 2019 - December 31st, 2019). This paper made use of Qualitative research design and content analysis. The Punch and Nigerian Tribune newspapers between January 1st 2019 and December 31st 2019 served as the population of this study. The purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting The Punch and Nigerian Tribune for this study, systematic random sampling was used to select the issues in news stories, articles, editorials, opinions, features, cartoons, illustrations etcetera. The findings of the study revealed that the role of media narratives in shaping public perception and understanding of child trafficking in Nigeria include framing the problem, shaping public perception of the victims and creating public awareness through story telling on child trafficking. The Punch newspaper had a frequency count of 30 on creating public awareness through story telling on child trafficking, the Nigerian Tribune had a frequency count of 15 on shaping public perception of the victims while Daily Times had a frequency count of 5 on framing the problem of child trafficking in Nigeria. Furthermore, the amount of space allocated to each story sample in the selected newspapers under study were below 10" which was small. The Punch, Nigerian Tribune and Daily Trust newspapers covered issues of child trafficking in Nigeria to a low extent. It was recommended that media outlets should adopt ethical reporting practices, ensuring the protection of victims' identities and avoiding the sensationalization of their experiences