Press Reportage of President Yar’Adua’s Ill-health: A Study

Abstract

This study was carried out with a view to examining the frequency and prominence of coverage given to President Musa Yar’Adua’s ill-health by Nigerian newspapers. The major concern of this study was to find out whether there was any relationship between the newspaper coverage of this issue and public perception of it. The study found that the Nigerian press demanded a handing over of government from President Yar’Adua, as news about a demand for his handing over dominated the agenda of the newspapers during the period. It was also inferred that the newspapers coverage of the issue with their use of banner headlines and image frame through the use of pale-looking photographs, was proportional to the perception held by the public about it.

Key words: Press, Reportage, Agenda-setting, Framing, Ill-health.