Prominence in the Newspaper Coverage of Conspiracy Theories during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14035342Keywords:
Conspiracy Theory, Newspaper Coverage, Gatekeeping theory, COVID-19 PandemicAbstract
The researchers examined newspaper coverage of conspiracy theories during the COVID19 pandemic in Nigeria. The study was aimed at assessing one critical issue on the
conspiracy theories during the COVID-19-pandemic in Nigeria which is the prominence
in the print newspapers coverage in Nigeria. The gate-keeping theory was employed in
this regard. The researchers adopted the content analysis with the coding sheet as
instrument for data collection. A sample size of two newspapers, the Nation and Punch
published from April 2020 to March 2021 (Monday-Friday) were derived from a
population size of five hundred and twenty-two newspapers using purposive sampling
technique. Findings showed that the Punch and Nation newspapers gave adequate
coverage to the COVID-19 pandemic with 2,318 stories or 94.7%, 124 of them on
conspiracy theories representing 5.5%. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the
select newspapers reported the COVID-19 pandemic, though not so for the conspiracy
theories and no prominence was attached to the stories as more than three-quarter of the
stories (97) or 81.5% were tucked inside the pages of the newspapers analysed and 4 or
3.2% on the front page. Furthermore, 31 representing 33.7% were 21 paragraphs and
above in the Nation while the Punch newspaper had 6 stories representing 18.8% with the
same number of paragraphs. There is significant relationship between the story types of
the conspiracy theories on the COVID-19 pandemic and the prominence attached to the
newspapers coverage as the minimum expected count of .26 is less than 5. Thus, the
researchers recommended that the print media houses in Nigeria should endeavour to
focus on stories that will educate Nigerians the more on issues of conspiracy theories by
making the stories prominent by bringing them on the front burner of the newspapers.