Media Ownership and Direction of Editorials in Four Selected Nigerian Newspapers

Abstract

A content analysis of four national dailies selected on the basis of ownership was carried out to find out the influence of ownership on the direction of editorials in Nigerian Newspapers with regard to three selected issues: The Plateau State Emergency Rule (2004); hosting of the 17th edition of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting by Nigeria (2003), and Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)/Federal Government friction over hike in pump prices of petroleum products (2004). The newspapers are: Daily Times and New Nigerian (Government Owned), The Guardian and The Punch (Privately Owned). The results of the study show that the editorial boards of Nigerian newspapers, especially the ones studied, enjoy significant freedom from the influence of owners in the performance of their opinion/persuasive function apropos of the three selected issues