Daily Trust Newspaper and the Promotion of Free and Fair Elections during the 2019 Electioneering in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the attention given to the promotion of free and fair elections by Daily Trust newspaper during the 2019 electioneering in Nigeria. The key objective of the study was to find whether Daily Trust newspaper played significant role in promoting free and fair 2019 General Elections. Agenda setting and social responsibility theories were used as theoretical framework. Mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative content analysis was employed and coding sheet was used as instrument to gather data for the study. The population for the study is 140 editions from 1st November, 2018 to 31st March, 2019. A total of 80 editions were systematically sampled to represent the entire population within the five-month period of the study. Findings revealed that a total of 2,370 stories were reported indicating that the media adequately covered the electoral process, thereby contributing to popular participation which ensured openness of electoral contest leading to the conduct of free and fair 2019 General Elections. This indicates that Daily Trust newspaper consistently reported the salient issues as well as ensured the placement of news report especially from credible sources on the 2019 General Elections. It was, therefore, recommended that newspaper gatekeepers should be more passionate about the conduct of free and fair elections by writing more editorials borne out of investigative journalism on important aspects of socio-political and electoral management reforms.