COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MEDIA COVERAGE OF 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS ON NIGERIA TELEVISION AUTHORITY AND CHANNELS TELEVISION STATIONS

ABSTRACT The study was undertaken to do a comparative analysis of Channels TV and NTA's coverage of2015 general elections to determine the level of comprehensiveness, purpose, direction or slant and objectivity of coverage. Three theories were used as framework for this research. Agenda setting, Social responsibility and Development media theories. Content analysis was used to analyse datat from a sample size of 76 days with 673 and 583 issues covered by Channels TV and NTA stations respectively, monitored over a period of five months, 1st January to 31st May,2015. The systematic Random sampling was used to arrive at the sample size and the data monitored from the sample size was analysed and coded bybyhe researcher and the results present end in tables. The simple percentage statistical method was used to analyse variables on the coding categories. News gathered were content analysed which revealed the level of comprehensiveness of coverage and major comparisons on purposes, direction and objectivity of election coverage by Channels TV and NTA stations. Findings shoe that these stations' coverage of election was not very comprehensive compared to other subject matters, as more attention was given to government issues than elections. Media ownership had an influence on the direction or slant, as media owners slant their news or programmes to support a particular political parties or political interest, and the objectivity Level of coverage as most news stories were influenced by political prejudices but the level of influence varied from one media owner to another. These helped to provide answers bto the research questions which sought to find out the level of comprehensiveness, direction and objectivity of coverage as well as to determine the extent to which media practitioners abide by process ethics of journalism. Significantly, the study has revealed the need for less interference or influence of media owners or election candidates on the coverage of issues, and, for journalists to abide by the professional ethics of objectivity and fairness.