Perspectives of selected Lagos State residents on Nigeria newspapers’ coverage of crime on the gratification of their safety information need

Abstract

Insecurity to lives and property in Nigeria continues unabated through crime perpetration of all kinds. All forms of violent crimes and property crimes are reported in the newspapers virtually on daily basis. Concerned by what the feelings of the audience could be on the resonating outcome of Nigerian newspapers’ crime reportage, the attendant palpable fear, anxiety, a sense of insecurity and whether or not the newspapers’ crime stories gratified their safety information need, this study adopted a qualitative approach through in-depth nterviews and probed into the perspectives of selected Lagos State residents on Nigerian newspapers’ coverage of crime and the gratification of their safety information need. A total of twelve literate respondents who had lived and worked in Lagos State for at least five years preceding the study were interviewed. Findings revealed that a sense of insecurity and palpable fear among the respondents; Lagos State was prone to crime; murder, robbery, kidnapping, and payment of ransom to secure the release of kidnapped victims were rife in Lagos State and by extension in the Country. The newspapers feasted on crime stories, but embraced episodic crime reportage; the newspapers’ crime stories were found educative and gratified the safety information need of readers. The police, judiciary and the political class were found culpable in crime festering in Nigeria. The paper recommends that newspapers engage more in investigative reporting of crime by reporting crime like an epidemic and that the security personnel of the Country requires constant intelligence report, needs to be proactive, and be professional. The Judiciary should ensure justice in all crime cases.