Local Newspaper Handling of Political Party Primaries in Akwa Ibom State

This study examined how local newspapers in Akwa Ibom State covered the 2022 political party primaries that produced the emergence of the incumbent Governor Umo Eno. The objectives focused on the level of attention accorded to the coverage in terms of frequency, media forms, and prominence. Three newspapers—The Pioneer, The Mail, and The Sensor—were content analysed. Findings revealed that the three newspapers published a total of 129 reports on the 2022 political party primaries in Akwa Ibom State, with The Pioneer accounting for the highest frequency of coverage at 61% compared to the other two newspapers. The study also revealed that the dominant media forms used by the newspapers were straight news reports and feature stories. Furthermore, nearly half (48%) of the reports appeared on front pages, indicating a high level of prominence given to the issue. The study concluded that although the coverage by The Pioneer, The Mail, and The Sensor had the potential to promote informed citizen participation, it also raised concerns regarding balance, bias, and objectivity in political reporting. The study recommended that The Mail and The Sensor newspapers should compete more favourably with The Pioneer in terms of frequency and depth of political coverage, particularly concerning party primaries and related electoral matters.

Keywords: Coverage, Local Newspapers, News, Features, Party Primaries, Elections.