Abstract

The provisions of Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) formerly Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) code on privileges of registered practitioners to endorse space orders and creative artworks and Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) vetting of advertisements affect newspapers’ revenues. This study investigated the effect of ARCON’s ASP regulatory procedures on newspapers’ advertising revenue in Nigeria. The study employed qualitative research approach and conducted in-depth interviews. Forty-two respondents were interviewed which comprised:12 newspapers advert executives, 2 newspapers chief executives, 12 advertisers and two ARCON management staff using questions guide. Findings revealed that membership procedures: privileges of registered practitioners to seal advertisements and endorse artworks for approval minimally affected advertising revenue of newspapers. Majority of the respondents revealed that unlicensed practitioners mostly in newspaper organizations practice advertising profession without seal and are not licensed by ARCON. These unlicensed practitioners lack adequate knowledge of ASP vetting procedures, hence denied newspapers expected revenue from rejected advertisements. Again, data revealed that non-effective regulation of online advertisements content by ARCON have hugely impacted on newspapers’ revenue. The shift to social media is responsible for huge decline in readership and newspapers’ advertising revenue. 

Key Words: Advertising Regulation, ARCON, Integrated Marketing Communication.

JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 15, No. 1, April 2023, pp. 66-80.

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

About the authors

* Olalekan Salmon Otun is a doctoral student in Mass Communication, Babcock University, Ilishan –Remo, Ogun State and lecturer in Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos. His research interests are advertising, public relations, marketing communication, digital marketing communication and health communication.  

** Kolade Ajilore, Ph.D., is a Professor and Head, Department of Mass Communication, Babcock University, Ilishan –Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. His research interest is in brand communication, advertising, public relations, conflict reporting and health communication. 

Article Citation

Otun, O. S. & Ajilore, K. (2023). Influence of Nigerian regulatory procedures on newspapers’ advertising revenue. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 15 (1): 66-80.

Full Article

Words: 9,665 

Pages: 15

To access full article, click on download.