Print Media Management and Ethical Advertising Under Recession

Abstract

Economic downturn has caused difficulties in media management. Media firms face sharp declines of products and service advertising. Consequently, media firms are increasingly lured accepting indecent advertising and advertorials contrary to ethical journalism practices. This study examines the frequencies and volumes, types, sectors, and decencies of advertising in two newspapers in Nigeria: The Guardian and The Vanguard. They attract higher numbers of entertainment adverts at 51%, above economy, politics, and education adverts, which had 49% in all. They could not resist the temptations of collecting monies and publishing adverts in dazzling, nude patterns of dressing to the public. They publish advertising images and contents which invade consumer privacy, offend the reading public. They integrate indecent contents that manipulate sensibilities of readers and offend entrepreneurs. They are to diversify into book publishing, book fairs and exhibitions, library consultancy, annual lectures and awards, sales of customized dairies, almanacs, and calendars to remain viable.