Rodney Ciboh | Benue State University, Makurdi - Nigeria (original) (raw)

Papers by Rodney Ciboh

Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 2017

Studies in Media and Communication, 2014

This paper uses content analysis to examine newspapers' source use in news of corruption between ... more This paper uses content analysis to examine newspapers' source use in news of corruption between 2000 and 2006 during Olusegun Obasanjo government's deliberate public policy against the malaise in Nigeria. It examined the sources of news on corruption to discover whose information is presented and to determine whether newspapers showed enterprise and employed investigation to challenge powerful interests and eradicate corruption or they merely acted as agents of such powerful interests behind corruption and reinforced the status quo. The paper found that government/official sources were the most frequently used sources of information on corruption and that newspapers favoured only the official definition of corruption. The paper concludes that by relying heavily on l government sources to represent corruption, newspapers more or less actively acquiesced to the status quo on corruption hence journalists lack the courage to investigative and help curb corruption in Nigeria. Until journalists recognise the need for providing pluralistic information about corruption from a diversity and range of sources and multiplicity of perspectives or opinions, they can hardly mobilise possible collective action against corruption in Nigeria and be active participants in strengthening and facilitating democracy.

Studies in Media and Communication, 2015

Most studies on social media use in Nigeria focus on youths and address issues such as internet a... more Most studies on social media use in Nigeria focus on youths and address issues such as internet accessibility; frequency and extent of social networking sites use; political attitudes and online political participation; academic uses and news consumption, and the addiction to this form of media. Whilst youths are avid users, studies indicate that popularity of social media continues to grow among older adults of 65+ years with multiple use rates. Hence this research describes the specific communication-based activities that occur on these sites among adults in Nigeria. To understand how older people use social network sites and what benefits they derive from them, purposeful sampling was undertaken of older adults living in the metropolitan Makurdi, capital of Benue State. The paper finds older Nigerians' communication on SNS disposed to bonding social capital as interactions skew towards family members, close friends and colleagues. And although only about three in ten adults' communication tends towards making new friends on social media, the paper concludes nonetheless that adult Nigerians' social interactions on SNS may yet have positive correlation with bridging social capital and its potential resources.

New Media and Mass Communication, 2014

JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA RESEARCH, 2019

Based on premise that where news media are effective in their normative roles, they contribute to... more Based on premise that where news media are effective in their normative roles, they contribute to strengthening democratic/public institutions and promoting good governance and human development in society, this paper evaluates performance of Nigerian newspapers in terms of their normative roles as civic forum, watchdogs, mobilizing agents or agenda setters. The paper argues that because newspapers performed these functions in seemingly aggressive and persuasive editorials, it is obvious that they contributed to strengthening the process of democratization, good governance, and human development in Nigeria. But how effective newspapers have been is a matter of conjecture because journalists face attacks in connection with critical coverage in an environment of impunity and threat of legal prosecution and harassment which encourages self-censorship. The paper concludes that without substantial enabling and sustaining support that news media require to effectively fight corruption and foster accountability and good governance in Nigeria, media can hardly be expected to promote and sustain democracy, as well as to improve broader indicators of good governance, such as limiting corruption.

Benue Journal of Communication and Development, 2019

This research is an exploratory study to examine how newsrooms and the practice of journalism are... more This research is an exploratory study to examine how newsrooms and the practice of journalism are evolving in the digital era, how digital technology is redefining organisational roles for journalists, changing newsroom operational routines, focusing on the skills and job roles that exist in newsrooms today. The study finds that newsrooms in Nigeria are changing into hybrid of traditional and online. Established traditional roles continue to dominate across all newsrooms but new roles are evolving. Nigerian journalists now have basic skills such as publishing across platforms, albeit they lack advanced skills such as creating data visualizations and web statistics. This reality suggests that most journalists in Nigeria are regularly using a narrow range of digital skills. Using social media to post stories appears a common skill in newsrooms but social media connectedness does not seem a priority because social media platforms are not being used in newsrooms to recognize audience's preferences and opinions, track receptiveness to stories, maximise distribution, and drive greater reach and engagement. In sum, we can conclude that newsrooms across Nigeria are adapting to the digital age but only a few of digital skills are used more regularly by journalists. Advanced skills such as using data analytics and web statistics to drive news agenda, cyber security, building and adapting digital tools/apps for newsroom use and podcast production are hardly used by journalists in any of the newsrooms, albeit technology is expanding skills required to perform newsroom jobs and redefining and expanding the role of journalists.

JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA RESEARCH, 2010

Nigerian newspapers share in the responsibility to rid society of corruption. This paper analysed... more Nigerian newspapers share in the responsibility to rid society of corruption. This paper analysed newspaper reporting of corruption between 2000 and 2006 to investigate the form of newspaper reports on corruption, the major events shaping news of corruption overtime, and what prominence newspapers accorded corruption on their news agenda. The paper found that newspapers lacked investigative efforts and relied on pseudo events and handouts to report corruption. Corruption reporting was episodic, and came in short straight news accounts and as isolated incidents. Corruption was an important issue of policy but never got attention it deserved, and most news of corruption were buried on inside pages, The paper observes that until newspapers become aggressive and proactive in pursuit of transparency in public affairs, their huge potentials for holding government accountable to the governed in Nigeria, would continue to be stymied by corruption.

National Development Studies, 2009

New Nigerian was established to promote the interest of Northerners. This study is a content anal... more New Nigerian was established to promote the interest of Northerners. This study is a content analysis of New Nigerian editorials between 2003 and 2006 to understand how the newspaper asserts. Its birthright and defends Northern interests and Nigeria’s fledgling democracy. From a random sample of 114 editorials coded for analysis, the study found that the New Nigerian now seems looks beyond northern interests. It appears to stoutly defend and is proactive to the overall maintenance of democracy and unity of Nigeria. The paper actively fights for corporate existence of Nigeria, encourages healthy democratic values, and condemns all acts detrimental to the growth of democracy and sociality. The paper concludes that New Nigerian now apparently places national interests above northern interests and has sacrificed its birthright for overall development of democracy and society in Nigeria.

Journal of Economic and Social Research, 2004

This article examines government ownership of newspapers based on the trusteeship model, which ha... more This article examines government ownership of newspapers based on the trusteeship model, which had been dominant since independence and whose influence peaked in the1970s. The article observes that the political ideology on which these newspapers were established has become obsolete, hence the newspapers have outlived their usefulness and are, in the least, unprofitable even to their owners. It concludes that state newspapers are now on the path of extinction whose passage, none and nothing can prevent.

Mkar Journal of Media and Culture, 2017

Attacks by herdsmen are understood to have engaged more sophisticated dimensions with the use of ... more Attacks by herdsmen are understood to have engaged more sophisticated dimensions with the use of new types of weapons and communication devices. North Central region of the country appears to be the hotbed of these conflicts, though the problem remains spread across different parts of the country. In Nigeria, media reporting of especially inter-group conflicts has been associated with unprofessional acts of sensationalism, considerations of context, accuracy and fairness, balance and completeness, integrity and responsibility. Many find press reports on issues, particularly ethnic conflicts, distorted and coloured with ethnic prejudice which now divides the Nigerian press into a north-south press. This study conducts a content analysis of newspaper editorials and found evidence of such characterisations in newspaper framing of these armed attacks albeit such representations nonetheless contributed to public understanding of the specific social problems and served purposes of peace building, national security and development.

Mkar Journal of Media & Culture, 2017

Attacks by herdsmen are understood to have engaged more sophisticated dimensions with the use of... more Attacks by herdsmen are understood to have engaged more sophisticated dimensions with the use of new types of weapons and communication devices. North Central region of the country appears to be the hotbed of these conflicts, though the problem remains spread across different parts of the country. In Nigeria, media reporting of especially inter-group conflicts has been associated with unprofessional acts of sensationalism, considerations of context, accuracy and fairness, balance and completeness, integrity and responsibility. Many find press reports on issues, particularly ethnic conflicts, distorted and coloured with ethnic prejudice which now divides the Nigerian press into a north-south press. This study conducts a content analysis of newspaper editorials and found evidence of such characterisations in newspaper framing of these armed attacks albeit such representations nonetheless contributed to public understanding of the specific social problems and served purposes of peace building, national security and development.

On October 22 to 24, 2001, the Nigerian army killed more than two hundred unarmed Tiv and destroy... more On October 22 to 24, 2001, the Nigerian army killed more than two hundred unarmed Tiv and destroyed homes, shops, public buildings and other property in more than seven towns and villages in Benue State, Nigeria. Vanguard newspaper held an Inquest into the crisis to discuss causes, pattern, history, and solutions (Vanguard 2001, November 19) to the Tiv/Jukun conflict. This paper attempts a discourse analysis of the conflict, to determine how ethnic inequality and domination in contemporary Nigeria are constructed and presented in text, what discursive structures, strategies, and other properties of text were used in defining ethnic minority relations and identities and polarising group opinions on the conflict. The study found routine discrimination against minority Tiv in these states, justified by positive representation of the Jukun majority and negative opinions about of Tiv. This positive and negative opinion about Us versus Them is legitimized by indigene-settler ideology and justified by systematic association of Tiv ethnic group with problematic and negative social and cultural differences in order to sustain existing negative attitudes about them.

This study focuses on the benefits of social network sites especially in terms of what older adul... more This study focuses on the benefits of social network sites especially in terms of what older adults derive from their social relationships and interactions on these sites. Drawing on a sample of 336 older adults, ages 50 years and older working in 13 government ministries in Benue State, Nigeria, results show that Nigerians go online regularly using mostly their mobile phones and spend much of their time on social media platforms, on Facebook predominantly. These results suggest that some older Nigerian adults are relatively "heavy" social media users and social networking has become a daily part of life. But the benefits that older Nigerians derive from social relationships especially in terms of bonding and bridging social capital are doubtful. The study concludes that although older adults' interactions on SNS are seemingly constitutive of bonding and bridging the social capital but these are not predictive of substantive forms of capital exchanges typically associated with these forms of social capital such as helping others to solve problems including financial problems, sharing intimate personal problems or gains in form of useful information, personal relationships, or the capacity to align with groups and broaden world-views. Nonetheless, the internet and social media allow older Nigerians the opportunity to create and maintain larger, diffuse networks of relationships and also provide them with a range of benefits and opportunities to empower themselves in a variety of ways.

This paper reviews roles newspapers can play in curbing corruption and what seemingly unassailabl... more This paper reviews roles newspapers can play in curbing corruption and what seemingly unassailable challenges they faced in facilitating the anti-corruption crusade by Olusegun Obasanjo administration between 1999 and 2007 in Nigeria. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (amended) says the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people of Nigeria The paper observes that while newspapers can fulfill these social and constitutional responsibilities in both tangible and intangible ways, the effectiveness of newspapers in acting as forces against corruption in Nigeria is, however, threatened by factors both intrinsic and extrinsic to the media such as official immunity and secrecy, lack of access to official information, moral obligations to the ethnic community, professional integrity and responsibility, editorial independence, physical threats, harsh economic realities and more. The paper concludes that unless these challenges are surmounted, newspapers may largely remain stymied in their anti-corruption roles and functions and hardly be useful in any efforts to curb corruption in the country.

On October 22 to 24, 2001, the Nigerian army killed more than two hundred unarmed Tiv and destroy... more On October 22 to 24, 2001, the Nigerian army killed more than two hundred unarmed Tiv and destroyed homes, shops, public buildings and other property in more than seven towns and villages in Benue State, Nigeria. Vanguard newspaper held an Inquest into the crisis to discuss causes, pattern, history, and solutions to the Tiv/Jukun conflict. This paper attempts a discourse analysis of the conflict, to determine how ethnic inequality and domination in contemporary Nigeria are constructed and presented in text, what discursive structures, strategies, and other properties of text were used in defining ethnic minority relations and identities and polarising group opinions on the conflict. The study found routine discrimination against minority Tiv in these states, justified by positive representation of the Jukun majority and negative opinions about of Tiv. This positive and negative opinion about Us versus Them is legitimized by indigene-settler ideology and justified by systematic association of Tiv ethnic group with problematic and negative social and cultural differences in order to sustain existing negative attitudes about them.

Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 2017

Studies in Media and Communication, 2014

Studies in Media and Communication, 2015

New Media and Mass Communication, 2014

JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA RESEARCH, 2019

Benue Journal of Communication and Development, 2019

JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA RESEARCH, 2010

National Development Studies, 2009

Journal of Economic and Social Research, 2004

Mkar Journal of Media and Culture, 2017

Mkar Journal of Media & Culture, 2017

Attacks by herdsmen are understood to have engaged more sophisticated dimensions with the use of... more Attacks by herdsmen are understood to have engaged more sophisticated dimensions with the use of new types of weapons and communication devices. North Central region of the country appears to be the hotbed of these conflicts, though the problem remains spread across different parts of the country. In Nigeria, media reporting of especially inter-group conflicts has been associated with unprofessional acts of sensationalism, considerations of context, accuracy and fairness, balance and completeness, integrity and responsibility. Many find press reports on issues, particularly ethnic conflicts, distorted and coloured with ethnic prejudice which now divides the Nigerian press into a north-south press. This study conducts a content analysis of newspaper editorials and found evidence of such characterisations in newspaper framing of these armed attacks albeit such representations nonetheless contributed to public understanding of the specific social problems and served purposes of peace building, national security and development.

On October 22 to 24, 2001, the Nigerian army killed more than two hundred unarmed Tiv and destroy... more On October 22 to 24, 2001, the Nigerian army killed more than two hundred unarmed Tiv and destroyed homes, shops, public buildings and other property in more than seven towns and villages in Benue State, Nigeria. Vanguard newspaper held an Inquest into the crisis to discuss causes, pattern, history, and solutions to the Tiv/Jukun conflict. This paper attempts a discourse analysis of the conflict, to determine how ethnic inequality and domination in contemporary Nigeria are constructed and presented in text, what discursive structures, strategies, and other properties of text were used in defining ethnic minority relations and identities and polarising group opinions on the conflict. The study found routine discrimination against minority Tiv in these states, justified by positive representation of the Jukun majority and negative opinions about of Tiv. This positive and negative opinion about Us versus Them is legitimized by indigene-settler ideology and justified by systematic association of Tiv ethnic group with problematic and negative social and cultural differences in order to sustain existing negative attitudes about them.