Language Diversity Management in Nigerian Newsrooms: A Study of Selected Television Stations in Lagos

This study examines how language diversity is managed in the newsrooms of selected television broadcasting stations in Lagos, South West Nigeria. Nigerian television newsrooms operate in one of the world's most linguistically diverse environments, yet the formal management of language diversity as an organisational and editorial practice has not been studied from a linguistics perspective. The study adopts a qualitative case study methodology informed by language management theory and media linguistics. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 editorial staff including senior editors, reporters, and producers from three major Lagos-based television stations, supplemented by observation of six editorial meetings. The analysis examines editorial language policies, language choice norms in newsroom communication, language-based hiring criteria, and approaches to indigenous language programming. Findings reveal that English dominates formal newsroom communication and editorial decisions, with indigenous languages confined to designated indigenous language programming slots that are decreasing in both number and airtime allocation. Informal newsroom communication exhibits high levels of code-switching and Pidgin use, particularly in breaking news situations and morning editorial meetings. Language-based hiring inequalities are documented, with North East and North West zone candidates reported as disadvantaged by standard English testing without acknowledgement of their indigenous language competencies. The study recommends formal language diversity policies and equitable recruitment practices in Nigerian broadcast newsrooms. Keywords: newsroom, language diversity, television broadcasting, Lagos, language management.