📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
The way government activities are framed in the press has profound implications for public perception, democratic accountability, and governance discourse. This study analysed news framing and agenda-setting patterns in Nigerian newspapers through a comparative study of how selected newspapers covered Enugu State government activities. The study was anchored on the Framing Theory of Entman and the Agenda-Setting Theory of McCombs and Shaw, both of which illuminate how media selection and presentation of issues shape audience understanding and political priorities. A content analysis design was adopted, and a purposive sample of 120 news stories on Enugu State government activities was drawn from two national and two regional newspapers over a six-month period. A structured coding sheet served as the research instrument. Findings revealed significant variations in how government-owned and privately owned newspapers framed Enugu State government activities, with government-aligned outlets tending toward favourable framing and independent papers adopting more critical stances. Issue salience also differed markedly across outlets, reflecting divergent editorial agendas. The study concluded that ownership structures and editorial orientation substantially influence how newspapers frame and prioritise government activities, with implications for informed public discourse. It was recommended that journalists and editors resist political and ownership pressures, and that media literacy initiatives be expanded to help audiences critically evaluate framing in political news coverage.
Keywords: News framing, agenda-setting, Nigerian newspapers, Enugu State government, media ownership
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