Abstract

COVID-19 is another global health challenge, which hypodermically stimulates overhauling of some conceptual frameworks as a result of media-audience relationship or information-flow patterns. Either it was set by the media or the public (through the emerging fifth estate of the realm) or as a result of the friction that emanates from agenda competition of both; the pandemic enjoys a full blown agenda pattern as it lasts. Analysing the contents of social media (Facebook) accounts for the period of the first five months of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, this work established not only framing transition but also diffusion of competing apparent frames. Just as the study of media agenda transfer interplay during 2014 Ebola outbreak merited fade-in/fade-out agenda template between gravity of different issues, competition of agenda within the same issue (Second layer agenda) was notable during COVID-19. The agenda focus of 2014 Ebola in Nigeria did not spill much over to other issues within as containment of the outbreak was made salient to suppress other frames concerning the outbreak. COVID-19 differs in all ramifications as palliative agenda raced for media attention alongside containment frame, lock-down alternative and political permutation of the world power and local opportunists which found their routes into the framing competition focus.

Key Words: COVID-19, Agenda Competition, Palliative, Lock-down, Communicating Development

JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, October 2021, pp. 1-10

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

About the authors

* Lateef Adekunle Adelakun, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department, Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria.

** Jonathan E. Aliede, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria.

*** Helen Ambassador-Brikins, Ph.D. is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria.

**** Chuks Oliver Enwerem, Ph.D. is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria.

***** Dennis Oche Abutu, Ph.D. is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, National Open University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria.

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Article Citation

Adelakun, L. A., Aliede, J. E., Ambassador-Brikins, H., Enwerem, C. O., & Abutu, D. O. (2021). Diffusion of issue framing in responses to Nigeria’s Covid-19 agenda on social media. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 13 (2): 1 – 10.