NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON CAREER PROGRESSION AMONG NIGERIAN POLITICIANS: SENATOR AKPABIO AND NATASHA IN PERSPECTIVE

ABSTRACT The study, “Newspaper Coverage of Sexual Harassment On Career Progression Among Nigerian Politicians: Senator Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti in Perspective.” This study is limited to three national dailies (The Punch, The Nation, and Nigerian Tribune). In conducting this study, six objectives guided the study. The study was hinged on two theories: agenda-setting theory, media development theory and social responsibility theory. Content analysis was used based on purposive sampling for newspaper coverage of sexual harassment cases in Nigerian political landscape for the period of three months, that is, june, july and august 2025 where a total of 90 editions were selected. The findings revealed that Nigerian newspapers gave considerable coverage to the sexual harassment allegations, with The Punch being the most prolific. However, a majority of the stories were not given front-page prominence. The framing of the stories was predominantly through straight news reports, with limited in-depth editorials or features that could provide context and analysis of the systemic issues. The study therefore recommended that Newspapers should move beyond episodic reporting of sexual harassment scandals and invest in investigative and thematic journalism that exposes the underlying systemic issues, power imbalances, and institutional failures that enable such behavior in politics. The study further recommended that bodies like the Nigerian Press Council and professional guilds should develop and enforce guidelines for the ethical and gender-sensitive reporting of sexual and gender-based violence.