Pattern of Journalists’ Reportage of Security Issues in Anambra State, Nigeria, in 2023

Abstract

Security in Anambra State in the Southeast geopolitical zone is a priority issue. This is because the free movement of people doing business and pursuing their goals, the prosperity and happiness of citizens, the freedom to go about achieving ones purposes is dependent on a secure State. Journalists on the other hand have a duty under their surveillance and correlation functions to provide news and information on the state of security within their areas of jurisdiction. It thus becomes imperative to evaluate the pattern of media reportage of security issues in Anambra State from the perspective of the journalists themslves. The objectives of the study were to; determine if security issues are well reported by the media in Awka, Anambra State, examine the slant of media reportage of security issues in terms of favour to some group, determine the basic challenges faced by the media in reportage of security issues and find out the level of cooperation between security agencies and journalists in the media reportage of security Issues.The study is anchored on Social Responsibility Theory and Framing Theory. It adopted a survey research approach and drew a sample size of 162 respondents based on census sampling. Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Major findings from the study reveal that journalists in Awka report security issues fairly well, that majority of the journalists do not slant their news, that fear was the basic among the challenges faced by the journalists in the reportage of security issues and that journalists in Awka do not have free access to the PPRO or DPO and other security agents in the State. Among others, the study recommended that media organisations, the security formations and the State government should pay careful attention to journalists in this sensitive and hazardous line of duty, that seminars and workshops involving journalists and security agents should also be organized from time to time in order to foster unity among journalists and security agents and government should also empower security agencies and journalists with requisite resources and motivation to do more in securing lives and property.