READERS PERCEPTION OF THE NEWSPAPERS COVERAGE OF THE 2015 ELECTIONS

READERS PERCEPTION OF THE NEWSPAPERS COVERAGE OF THE 2015 ELECTIONS

2.0       INTRODUCTION

This chapter is the literature review of this study. It is made up of three parts which includes the theoretical framework, the conceptual framework and the empirical review of existing literature on the subject matter. The theoretical framework basically presents the theories that examine the perception of readers on election coverage.

2.1       THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The following are the theories that examine the reader’s perception on newspaper coverage of elections;

• Agenda setting theory
• Theory of media ownership

2.1.1   AGENDA SETTING THEORY

The proposition of Agenda-Setting Theory dates back to McCombs & Shaw (1972) primary article on the agenda setting function of the mass media in a Public Quarterly. In their research, they saw the media mainly the newspaper not able to always successful at telling the readers what to think but rather quite successful at telling them what to think about. In practical terms, agenda-setting theory deal with newspaper’s ability to influence the perception of its rREADERS PERCEPTION OF THE NEWSPAPERS COVERAGE OF THE 2015 ELECTIONS
eaders and what they consider the most important issue of the day. Perloff (1998) whose views about agenda-setting likened it to power of the newspaper to set the agenda of public discussion which determines what people will talk and think about. This can be observed practically from the fact that majority of the Nigerian population are newspaper readers. Hence, election monitoring was easier through the newspaper in the year 2015 general elections in Nigeria. Statement from various political stakeholders in Nigeria has created an agenda for public discussion during the 2015 elections.

READERS PERCEPTION OF THE NEWSPAPERS COVERAGE OF THE 2015 ELECTIONS