Abstract

This article examined Nigerian newspapers´ coverage of development communication messages, while comparing The Nigerian Tribune and ThisDay newspapers. It sought to find out the reportage of development communication messages as against non-development communication messages; the prominence given to development communication messages, as well as the editorial forms in which they are published. Data were obtained through content analysis and the systematic and purposive sampling methods were used to select the sample size of 260 newspaper issues of both The Nigerian Tribune and ThisDay newspapers.  News, features and editorials were the units of analysis.  A total of 32, 723 reports from both newspapers were content analysed. Findings showed that Nigerian newspapers, rather than concentrating on development communication messages which are more beneficial to the citizens, given that the nation is still developing, publish more of non-development communication matters. Of the 32, 723 reports, only 3, 281 (10%) were on development communication matters and a majority, 29, 445 (89.9%),of the reports were on non-development communication matters. On a comparative basis, it was discovered that The Nigerian Tribune newspaper had more development communication matters (1, 973 reports) than ThisDay newspaper (1, 308 reports).  Prominence to development communication messages in the newspapers was found out to be low. Only few of the development communication messages published in the newspapers (28 out of 3,281 reports) appeared on either the front or back pages. Findings also revealed that development communication messages are published more as news than as editorials and features.  The article, therefore, recommends that the Nigerian press should incorporate the principles and tenets of development journalism into their editorial policy as this would enhance the coverage of more development communication matters. It is also suggested that journalists should use more of features and editorials in the publication of development communication messages as they are more detailed and explanatory.