ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF THE MEDIA IN CHECKING ECONOMIC CRIME (A CASE STUDY OF EFCC ACTIVITIES)

ABSTRACT This research was designed to assess the impact of the media in checking economic crime in Nigeria. This study specifically examined how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through the media (Thisday and Sun newspapers) arrested and persecuted individuals found wanting in money laundering, fraud etc. The researcher used content analysis research method. This method facilitated a proper measurement on the content categories of the newspapers mentioned above on their reportage on economic and financial crime. These content categories includes news, features, Editorial, front page and inside page. The unit of analysis includes frequency, prominence, depth of coverage and direction. Equally data was sourced and collected from relevant texts, journals, and EFCC Act 2004. The major findings of the study show that newspapers were very powerful tool in the assessment and checkmating of financial and economic crime in Nigeria between 2009 to 2010. 
PROPOSAL Assessing the Impact of the Media in Checking Economic Crime (A Case Study of EFCC Activities). This study is aimed at the impact the media has made in checking economic crime which has brought to the activities of EFCC in Nigeria. In selecting the medium to use, Thisday and Sun newspaper strategy is being adopted (i.e. the print media). The bases on which this study has is to determine how adequately these newspapers covered the EFCC activities between 2009 and 2010. The research will contain content analysis research method in carrying out the study. Three hypotheses will be formulated for the study. The hypotheses both have null and alternative hypotheses. The newspaper industry is a specialized industry. It has a unique pattern of reporting based on inverted pyramid style. More national papers are reckoned with professional approaches to news gathering and reporting. There has always been strict compliance to the pattern of reporting in other to conform with the international standard in reportorial style. Any act of deviation from this style is a professional blunder. From the foregoing assessment method put in place by the researcher, it will truly ascertain in the researcher’s appraisal work if the media has really help in its impact in checking and reporting economic crime.   TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page i Approval Page ii Dedication iii Abstract iv Acknowledgementsv Table of Contents vi List of Tables viii Proposal
CHAPTER   ONE INTRODUCTION  1.1Background of the Study 2 1.2Statement of the Research Problem 6 1.3Objectives of the Study7 1.4Significance of the Study8 1.5Research Questions 9 1.6Research Hypotheses10 1.7Theoretical Framework 11 1.8Scope of the Study13 1.9Limitation of the Study 13 1.10Definition of Terms 13 References 17
CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE  2.1Source of Literature 18 2.2Review of Relevant Literature 18 2.3Summary of Literature30 References32
CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY  3.1Research Design 33 3.2Area of Study 35 3.3Research Population 35 3.4Research Sample 36 3.5Sampling Technique 37 3.6Instrument of Data Collection 38 3.7Method of Data Collection 39 3.8Method of Data Analysis 39 3.9Expected Results 40
CHAPTER FIVE PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS  4.1Data Presentation and Analysis 41 4.2Analysis of Research Questions 46 4.3Discussion of Results    47
CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION  5.1Summary 50 5.2Conclusion53  5.3Recommendations54 Bibliography56
LIST OF TABLES Table 1:Population/Sample Table 35 Table 2:Extent of covering of news items 41 Table 3:Content categories of stories covered by the selected newspaper 42 Table 4:Nature of Story43 Table 5:Direction of Stories 44 Table 6:Placement of news of both newspapers 45