COVID-19 Outbreak: How Informed Were We? Newspaper Coverage of Health and Nutrition Related Information in Nigeria

This study aimed to analyze the reporting/transmission of COVID-19 related nutrition and health information by Nigerian newspapers during the COVID-19 outbreak. This secondary/desk research design employed a quantitative content analysis of all articles from two widely read national newspapers publi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current developments in nutrition Vol. 6; no. Supplement_1; p. 204
Main Authors: Iheme, Gideon, Ezenwa, Happiness, Nzeagwu, Ogechi, Onwubuya, Netochukwu, Uche, Precious, Makanjuola, Okeoghene, Ngharamike, Stellamaris
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Inc 01.06.2022
Oxford University Press
Elsevier Limited
Subjects:
COVID-19
COVID-19 and Nutrition
Disease transmission
Food
International relations
Nutrition
ISSN:2475-2991, 2475-2991
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This study aimed to analyze the reporting/transmission of COVID-19 related nutrition and health information by Nigerian newspapers during the COVID-19 outbreak. This secondary/desk research design employed a quantitative content analysis of all articles from two widely read national newspapers published in April and May 2020. Inter-coder reliability test was done by two independent coders to improve the consistency and validity of findings. The unit of analysis comprised all COVID-19 information reported on the news stories, features, editorials and opinions column. Results revealed that COVID-19 information received a fair (more than a tenth) coverage of all articles reported in Nigerian media. COVID 19 statistics/updates (44.8–53.5%) and food/palliative distribution/support (44.2–44.8%) dominated the news article column of Nigerian media, with a little attention (2.3–10.4) on health and nutrition awareness/sensitization. It was observed that COVID-19 reports on feature article segment of Nations and Punch newspapers bothered on covid-19 protocol enforcement (26.8%), COVID-19 impact on international relations (9.7%), COVID-19 new waves/strain awareness/description (7.3%), health sector role in COVID-19 containment (9.8%) whereas COVID-19 and food/nutrition recorded minimal appearance (4.9%). Food/nutrition-related COVID-19 reports were missing on the front page, editorial, international news and advertisement/business segment of the reviewed newspapers. Overall data revealed that this COVID-19 information were predominantly COVID-19 statistics/case updates, food/palliative distribution update, impact of COVID-19 on the economy and other sectors while in-depth reporting of health and nutrition related COVID-19 awareness was lacking. Prompt sensitization and education on emerging issues of public health is the ethical responsibility of the print media to the public. None.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
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ISSN:2475-2991
2475-2991
DOI:10.1093/cdn/nzac048.018