Èèwọ̀: Cultural issues mediating the coverage of maternal and child healthcare experiences in the Nigerian press

Abstract

Although the Nigerian government appears committed to improving maternal and child healthcare (MCH), studies consistently show high maternal and child mortality in the country. Studies have also shown that a lack of awareness about symptoms and their severity prevents women from seeking medical attention until complications arise. The media can help address these issues by enlightening and empowering the public with relevant information. Unfortunately, even when published, critical information (about MCH) are usually buried in statistics and within ‘authority interviews’ which may not attract the attention of the target audience or provide them with the relevant information they need to protect the lives of women and children during pregnancy and childbirth. This study presents results from a content analysis of MCH-related contents in four national newspapers for a 12-month period and also interviews with ten health editors about the coverage of MCH-related issues in the Nigerian press. Major findings are that health journalists use statistics and stakeholder interviews mainly in producing health contents in the press because cultural ideologies around secrecy/silence about MCH experiences, the fatalistic acceptance of unfavourable outcomes as destiny, as well as patriarchy, have consistently discouraged women (and men) from sharing their MCH experiences in the media. The study recommends that the media should avoid the sensationalisation of MCH experiences to encourage more people to share their stories. This is because including the positive and challenging experiences of individuals in MCH-related contents in the media provides the human-interest angle that can increase readership of health contents, thus empowering citizens with the information they need to get adequate care and also seek redress when such care is denied.