Framing Political Actors: The Case Of G-5 Governors In Selected Nigerian Newspapers
Johnson Oghenekaro Blessing
Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
This study examined how The Punch, The Guardian, and The Vanguard newspapers reported the activities of the G5 governors in the build-up to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria. The research focused on evaluating the perspectives adopted in framing the G5 governors’ stories before, during, and after the elections. Guided by Framing and Conflict theories, the study pursued three objectives: to determine how the selected newspapers framed the activities of the G5 governors, to identify the dominant frames employed, and to analyze the overall patterns of reportage. Content analysis was adopted as the research design, with reports published between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, serving as the data set. A constructed calendar method was used to select 48 issues on the G5 governors as the study sample. Findings revealed that the three newspapers largely reported the G5 governors through straight news stories and interviews, sourced from press briefings and exclusive interactions. The dominant frames identified were peace, reconciliation, and political frames. However, limited intertextual referencing was observed, as previous actions of the governors were not adequately linked to their agitations during the electoral process. The study concludes that while journalistic neutrality is crucial, it is often influenced by editorial policies, socio-religious attachments, personal beliefs, educational competence, and broader social contexts. It recommends that persistent political conflicts, such as the G5 saga, should be investigated more deeply to uncover underlying motives. Additionally, in reporting sensitive political issues, journalists are encouraged to emphasize the human-interest angle as part of their social responsibility to foster public understanding and democratic accountability