News Authorship and News Sources: Impacts on Environmental Coverage in The Nigerian Press

Authors

  • Ogadimma C. Emenyeonu College of Communication, University of Sharjah, UAE
  • Bahtiar Mohamad School of Multimedia Technology and Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v9i2.483

Keywords:

Environmental Coverage, News Sources, News Authorship, Nigerian Press

Abstract

This study examines the impacts of news authorship and news sources on environmental coverage in the Nigerian press to shed light on the roles they play in news construction. The study finds that journalists in conjunction with policy makers are the catalyst for environmental information, whereas citizens who are pivotal in creating relevant public opinion on environmental issues are left behind. The study reveals that investigative reporting lacks in environmental coverage because most coverage are events driven which explains why environmental news is reported as straight news and as such journalists rely heavily on official sources rather than subsidiary sources. The study opines that for proper environmental coverage, journalists must choose sources from both main and subsidiary actors and revert to proactive, investigative and interpretive reporting so as to make environmental stories relatable to the intended audiences.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Ogadimma C. Emenyeonu, College of Communication, University of Sharjah, UAE
    Ogadimma teaches mass communication courses at the College of Communication, University of Sharjah, UAE. He is currently rounding up his PhD studies at Universiti Utara Malaysia.
  • Bahtiar Mohamad, School of Multimedia Technology and Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia
    DR. BAHTIAR MOHAMAD is a Senior Lecturer at Communication Department, School of Multimedia Technology and Communication, UUM. With a degree from National University of Malaysia; a Master of Science from Universiti Putra Malaysia, and a PhD from Brunel University London, United Kingdom, Bahtiar has been serving Universiti Utara Malaysia for approximately 14 years. Formerly, he served as a Head of Communication Department, Faculty of Communication and Modern Languages, UUM for 3 years from 2005 - 2008. He teaches Public Relations, Corporate Communication, Communication for Managers and Organizational Image Management, which all combine to support his hybrid profession linking communication with the management. His qualifications are in Business Administration and Corporate Communication. In recent years, his publication and research interests have focused on corporate communication and public relations. He is carrying out research in the area of corporate identity, corporate image, investor relations and corporate branding from the point of view of public relations and corporate communication. He is Member of Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (MIPR), European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), World Communication Association (WCA) and Pacific & Asia Communication Association (PACA). He is currently appointed as a Visiting Scholar at Faculty of Business and Humanities, Curtin University Sarawak Campus and Asian Institute of Cambodia.

References

Anderson, A., Peterson, A., & David, M. (2005). Communication of Spin? Source Media Relations in Science Journalism. In S. Allan (Ed.) Journalism: Critical Issues. Maidenhead: Open University.

Berelson, B. (1952). Content Analysis in Communication Research. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

Berkowitz, D. (1997). Social Meaning of News: A Text Reader. London: Sage.

Dunwoody, S. & Griffin, R. (1993). Journalistic strategies for reporting long-term environmental issues: A case study of three superfund sites. In A. Hasen (Ed.), The Mass Media and Environmental Issues. New York: Leicester University Press.

Fishman, M. (1980) Manufacturing the News. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Friedman, S., Dunwoody, S. & Rogers, C. (1986). Scientists and Journalists. New York: Free Press

Gans, H. (1990). Deciding What s a News: A Study of CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, Newsweek and Time. London: Constable.

Ginnekan, J. V. (1998). Undestanding Global news: A Critical Introduction. London: Sage.

Hall, S. (1978). Policing the Crisis. London: Macmillan.

Hannigan, J. (2006). Environmental sociology: A Social Constructionist Perspective. London: Routledge.

Holsti, O. (1969). Content Analysis for the Social Sciences and Humanities. London: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Lapsansky-Werner, E. J. (2011). United States History: Modern America. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Manheim, J. (1998). The News Shapers: Strategic Communication as a Third Force in News Making. In D. Graber, D. McQuail, & P. Norris (Eds.), The Politics of News: The News Politics. Washington: Congressional Quarterly Press.

Rogers, C. L. (1999). The Importance of Understanding Audiences. In S. M. Friedman, S. Dunwoody, & C.L. Rogers (Eds.), Communicating uncertainty: Media Coverage of New and Controversial Science. Mahwa, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Schlesinger, P. & Tumber, H. (1994). Reporting Crime: The Media Politics of Criminal Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sigal, L. (1986). Reporters and Officials: The Organization and Politics of News Making. Lexington: DC Health.

Soley, L. (1992). The News Shapers: The Sources Who Explain the News. New York: Praeger.

Bendix, J. & Liebler C. M. (November 1991). Environmental Degradation in Brazilian Amazonia: Perspectives in U.S News Media. Professional Geographer, 43, 474-485.

Berkowitz, D. & Beach D. W. (1993). News Sources and News Context: The Effect of Routine News, Conflict and Proximity. Journalism Quarterly, 70 (Spring 1993), 4-12.

Gerhards, J., & Schafer, M. S. (2009). Two Normative Models of Science in the Public Sphere: Humangenome Sequencing in German and US Mass Media. Public Understanding of Science, 18 (4), 437-451.

Greenberg, M. R., Sachsman, D. B., Sandman, P. M. & Salumone, K. L. (1989). Risk Drama and Geography in Coverage of Environmental Risk by Network TV. Journalism Quarterly, 66 (2), 267-276

Hasan, Nik, N. N. (2007). The Representation of Environmental News: A comparative Study of the Malaysian and New Zealand Press. An unpublished PhD Thesis submitted to the University of Canterbury.

Liebler, C. M. & Bendix, J. (1996). Old-Growth Forests On Network News: News Sources And The Framing Of An Environmental Controversy. J & MC Quarterly, 73 (1), 53-65.

Protess, D. et al. (1991). Making: Targeting Toxic Waste The Impact of Investigative Reporting on Public Opinion and Policy. Public Opinion Quarterly, 51, 166-185.

Sachsman, D. (1999). Commentary: Should Reporters use Risk as Detriment of Environmental Coverage? Science Communication, 21(1), 88-95.

Tuchman, G. (1972). Objectivity as Strategic Ritual: An Examination of Newsmen's Notions of Objectivity. American Journal of Sociology, 77, 660-679.

Weigold, M. (2001). Communicating Science: A Review of the Literature. Science Communication, 23 (2), 164-193.

Downloads

Published

2017-07-26

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2017): July-December

Section

Articles

License

Copyright Transfer Form

The copyright to this article is transferred to the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang if and when the article is accepted for publication. The undersigned hereby transfers any and all rights in and to the paper including without limitation all copyrights to the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required. The undersigned represents that he/she has the power and authority to make and execute this assignment.

We declare that:

1. This paper has not been published in the same form elsewhere.

2. It will not be submitted anywhere else for publication prior to acceptance/rejection by this Journal.

3. A copyright permission is obtained for materials published elsewhere and which require this permission for reproduction.

Furthermore, I/We hereby transfer the unlimited rights of publication of the above mentioned paper in whole to the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang. The copyright transfer not covers the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature.

The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsibility for releasing this material on behalf of any and all co-authors. This agreement is to be signed by at least one of the authors who have obtained the assent of the co-author(s) where applicable. After submission of this agreement signed by the corresponding author, changes of authorship or in the order of the authors listed will not be accepted.


Retained Rights/Terms and Conditions

1. Authors retain all proprietary rights in any process, procedure, or article of manufacture described in the Work.

2. Authors may reproduce or authorize others to reproduce the work or derivative works for the authors personal use or for company use, provided that the source and the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang copyright notice are indicated, the copies are not used in any way that implies  the Department of Communication, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication, Universitas Semarang endorsement of a product or service of any employer, and the copies themselves are not offered for sale.

3. Although authors are permitted to re-use all or portions of the Work in other works, this does not include granting third-party requests for reprinting, republishing, or other types of re-use.