NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF MEDIA REPORTAGE OF RITUAL KILLINGS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT Ritual killings have increasingly featured in Nigerian public discourse, provoking moral concern and questions about the role of the press in framing the menace. Newspapers serve both as sources of information and as agenda-setters; however, how national dailies cover ritual killings in frequency, prominence, space allocation and direction remains under-researched. This study therefore examined newspaper coverage of ritual killings in Nigeria between January 1 and June 30, 2025, to determine the extent and nature of reportage in three purposively selected national dailies: The Nation, Daily Trust, and The Punch. The study adopted a content-analysis design. Using simple random sampling of publication dates within the January–June 2025 window and a structured coding sheet, a total of 366 editions (122 editions per newspaper) were sampled. Data were coded for frequency, placement (page/prominence), story size (space), frame/direction (e.g., sensational, condemnatory, investigative, human-interest), and use of visuals. Quantitative data were summarized using frequency counts and percentages, while thematic patterns in framing and direction were identified through qualitative content coding. Results showed that 230 of the 366 sampled editions (62.8%) contained at least one edition with reportage on ritual killings, yielding a total of 146 discrete stories across the three newspapers (39.9% of editions produced a story on the topic). Distribution of the 146 stories was as follows: The Punch 65 stories (44.5%), The Nation 56 stories (38.4%), and Daily Trust 25 stories (17.1%). Analysis of prominence and space revealed that while The Punch contributed more front-page and large-space human-interest pieces, the majority of stories across the three papers (approximately two-thirds) were event-based reportage with limited investigative follow-up. In terms of direction and framing, a substantial share of items relied on sensational or crime-centred framing; comparatively fewer stories adopted advocacy, policy or solution-oriented frames. Visuals (photographs/graphics) accompanied many reports, but ethical standards regarding graphic imagery were inconsistently applied. The study concluded that although selected national dailies bring ritual-killing incidents to public attention, coverage tends to prioritise episodic event reporting and sensational frames over in-depth, investigative, or solution-oriented reporting that could spur policy responses and public education. Consequently, newspaper reportage has contributed to awareness but is less effective in fostering sustained public debate or policy action on underlying socio-economic drivers. The study recommends that newspaper editors emphasise investigative follow-ups, adopt more contextual and solution-oriented framing, and apply ethical guidelines consistently (especially for graphic images). Further collaboration between media houses, civil-society organisations and security agencies is recommended to transform episodic coverage into sustained public engagement and preventive action.