NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF SPORTS NEWS IN NIGERIA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF VANGUARD AND NATION NEWSPAPERS

NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF SPORTS NEWS IN NIGERIA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF VANGUARD AND NATION NEWSPAPERS
 
ABSTRACT
The issue of news coverage in Nigeria has generated interest from all works of life. Argument arise as a result of what is considered inadequate coverage of sports news by Nigerian newspaper. This study analyze the contents of two Nigeria dailies – Vanguard and Nation newspapers with the aim of finding how far they have gone in the coverage of sports events in Nigeria. Content analysis method was used to select a representative size of 48 issues of the newspapers from a target population of 315 using a simple random sampling technique. Coding sheet was used as the instrument of data collection, just as tables and simple percentage were used for presentation and analysis of data. Research findings show that Nigerian newspapers do not give adequate coverage to sports news. The study concludes that, newspapers should allot more pages to reporting sports. Hence recommends that sports news stories should be given prominent display in Nigerian newspapers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Approval page                                                                  i
Dedication                                                                       ii
Acknowledgement                                                            iii
Table of content                                                               iv
Abstract                                                                           v
CHAPTER ONE
1.0   Introduction                                                             1
1.1      Background of the study                                          1
1.2      Statement of problems                                             5
1.3      Objective of the study                                              6
1.4      Significant of the study                                            7
1.5      Research questions                                                  8
1.6      Limitation of the  study                                            8
1.7      Scope of the Study                                                   9
1.8      Definition of Terms                                                  9
CHAPTER  TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW                                                   11
2.1   Literature Review                                                     11
2.2   Trends in Newspaper Coverage of Sports in Nigeria      14
2.3   An overview of Nigeria Sports                                   22
2.4   Problems of Nigerian Sports                                     24
2.5   Roles of the Press in Tacking the Problem                      27
2.6   Theoretical Framework                                            29
2.7   Summary of literature review                                   32
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOOGY                                    33
Introduction
3.1      Research design and Method of study                     33
3.2            Population of the study                                            33
3.3            Design of the study                                                  23
3.4            Sampling techniques                                               36
3.5            Instrument for Data collection                                                          36
3.6            Validation and reliability of Data Source                 36
3.7            Method of Data analysis                                          37
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation, Analysis and discussion                    38
4.1   Data presentation and analysis                               38
4.2   Discussion of findings                                             44
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary, conclusion and Recommendations                   47
5.1      Summary of findings                                               47
5.2            Conclusion                                                              48
5.3            Recommendations                                                   50
5.4            Area of further study                                                               52
References                                                                               53
CHAPTER ONE
1.0   INTRODUCTION
1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The responsibilities of newspaper houses as social institutions cannot be over emphasized, it is not therefore an over statement to point out here that the co-existence of the society and the functionality of government and its agencies are the reason the news paper exist.  This means that the news house have responsibilities that are meant to keep the society in peace, unity and progress.
However, the mass media are the collective network of a journalists channels and instruments that are responsibility for gathering and dissemination of information to the heterogeneous audience.  Among other function of the mass media to the masses are information, sports and entertainment responsibilities.
The mass media owe the society the duty of always upholding the principles, views, ideas and acts that promote stability, unity and mutual co-existence in the society.
On the other hand, is sports which is very broad in its enlarged form.  Sports means A series of physical activities which includes soccer, judo, volleyball, athletics, basketball and tabled tennis.  Most sports can also be undertaken as recreation.
In this light, it is pertinent at this juncture, to state that the purpose of the research work is to x-ray the coverage of sports programme by the mass media.
The news paper in Nigeria 
The history of the newspaper in Nigeria can be traced down to the days of colonialism and through the white.  Meanwhile, mass media is divided into two, the print and electronic (broadcast) media.  For better and productive study of this research work, the two divisions of the mass media will be discussed separately. The print media (press) constitutes the newspaper, magazines, books and other journals. This division of the mass media has its roots to an Anglican revered by name, Henry Townsend, who published the first newspaper in Nigeria title “Iwo –Irohin” in 1859 and was later translated in English language. The paper was not politically oriented.
 
The Broadcast Media
The segment of the broadcast media is made up of radio and television; like the print, the broadcast media has it history in Nigeria in the early 1930’s when the British Broadcast Commission (BBC) started the first world regular scheduled short wave services radio station with receiving stations in Lagos, Ibadan and Kano.
Sports Coverage in Nigeria
When coverage of sports started, it was the newspaper, that is the print media that started it,