AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF MASS MEDIA COVERAGE OF BANDITRY IN KADUNA STATE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CHANNELS TELEVISION AS A CASE STUDY)

ABSTRACT

This study assessed audience perception of mass media reportage of banditry in Kaduna State and its implications on national development. The researcher embarked on this study with the intention of achieving five objectives. Based on the objectives of this study, the researcher formulated five research questions to serve as a guide for this study. This study is anchored on the agenda setting theory and the framing theory. The survey research design was deemed appropriate as the most suitable research design for this study. Findings show that the media has been highly effective in the coverage of banditry in Kaduna State. The media is being regarded as the fourth estate of the realm, a very important institution that often plays a key role in current fight against banditry in Nigeria. The media occupy a position that is similar to that of a middleman providing necessary information about the affairs of a particular issue to the producers, which is the government and the general public as consumer; therefore, is susceptible to manipulation either positively or negatively. The mass media has a very important role to play in tackling insurgence and to serve the goal of national development. This is because the mass media is described as a pivot of social interaction, seeking to use the power of mass information to solve the problem of national cohesion and integration, which are both critical to the growth of healthy society. Based on the findings of this study, this study recommends that the media should improve on its investigative journalistic role to see if it would be possible to monitor the activities of these bandits, in order to help government curb their actions.