Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers

Mass media cannot cure virus but can cure its spread. Framing of news stories in the Nigerian media (newspapers) is much more influenced by the economic motive of the journalists; picking news angle that arouses readers’ interests in order to sell more copies in the keen competitive media market....

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Main Authors: Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef, Hamedi M. Adnan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10510/1/16486-46316-1-SM.pdf
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author Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef
Hamedi M. Adnan,
author_facet Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef
Hamedi M. Adnan,
author_sort Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef
collection UKM
description Mass media cannot cure virus but can cure its spread. Framing of news stories in the Nigerian media (newspapers) is much more influenced by the economic motive of the journalists; picking news angle that arouses readers’ interests in order to sell more copies in the keen competitive media market. The 2014 Ebola outbreak is a litmus test of how Nigerian media framed health issues, which depict the news perspective most interest to them. Through content analysis of two daily newspapers reports of Ebola during the outbreak in Nigeria, this study established the framing patterns employed while reporting as well as the preponderant frames used. The outcome is used to justify the priority upheld between the competing newspapers interests to sell and the media social responsibility towards containing the outbreak. The much capitalisation on treatment/containment frame portrayed the newspapers purposive interest to free the society of the outbreak, a reflection of its social responsibility role. The priority, which pose no threat on the professionalism of journalism was not only much appraised but also recommended for all media involvement in crisis reports.
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spelling ukm.eprints-105102017-07-10T02:05:48Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10510/ Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef Hamedi M. Adnan, Mass media cannot cure virus but can cure its spread. Framing of news stories in the Nigerian media (newspapers) is much more influenced by the economic motive of the journalists; picking news angle that arouses readers’ interests in order to sell more copies in the keen competitive media market. The 2014 Ebola outbreak is a litmus test of how Nigerian media framed health issues, which depict the news perspective most interest to them. Through content analysis of two daily newspapers reports of Ebola during the outbreak in Nigeria, this study established the framing patterns employed while reporting as well as the preponderant frames used. The outcome is used to justify the priority upheld between the competing newspapers interests to sell and the media social responsibility towards containing the outbreak. The much capitalisation on treatment/containment frame portrayed the newspapers purposive interest to free the society of the outbreak, a reflection of its social responsibility role. The priority, which pose no threat on the professionalism of journalism was not only much appraised but also recommended for all media involvement in crisis reports. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2016 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10510/1/16486-46316-1-SM.pdf Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef and Hamedi M. Adnan, (2016) Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers. Jurnal Komunikasi ; Malaysian Journal of Communication, 32 (2). pp. 362-380. ISSN 0128-1496 http://ejournal.ukm.my/mjc/issue/view/877
spellingShingle Adekunle, Adelakun Lateef
Hamedi M. Adnan,
Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers
title Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers
title_full Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers
title_fullStr Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers
title_full_unstemmed Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers
title_short Communicating health: media framing of ebola outbreak in Nigerian newspapers
title_sort communicating health media framing of ebola outbreak in nigerian newspapers
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10510/1/16486-46316-1-SM.pdf
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