Between Ebola epidemics and Boko-Haram insurgency: Media agenda transition interplay

The menace of Ebola outbreak coincidence with Boko haram insurgency left not only the policy formulators in disarray but also rocked the media with indecision on which to prioritize. Media set agenda on the most important issue or on an issue the media want to make important but the dissection of which suppresses the other when two issues are keenly considered of public interests fames discussions on agenda transition. Ebola epidemic rocked Nigeria at a time when media coverage of Boko Haram insurgency was at its climax, setting double battles for government to fight and for media to frame as public agenda. Content analyses of two Nigerian newspapers between June and December, 2014, explained the fade-in and fade-out strategy that the media employed to set, sustain and shuttle agenda front-and-back on the issues. The media interest to guide the audience decisions on the duo (health and security challenges) also explained the indispensability of media agenda role and the priority leverage among issues.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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