Abstract

Gatekeeping theory in mass communication is a working theory or operational theory which explains the process by which competing news items are sieved, shaped and reduced into the few that are eventually conveyed to the audience. This has become necessary because the quantum of information in news form garnered by field reporters and other news sources of news organizations, most times, exceed the available news holes and air time through which they are to be conveyed to the audience. This paper examined critical issues of gatekeeping in Nigeria and found that keeping the gates of mass communication in Nigeria is at two levels: the external gatekeeping and the internal gatekeeping. The external gatekeepers include all the individuals and institutions that sufficiently influence media workers in their decisions of what to select to present as news to the audience. Notable among them are government agencies, primary news sources, advertisers, other news organizations and members of the audience among others. However, the paper dwelt more on the internal gatekeeper who may be the reporter, editor, cameraman, photographer, scriptwriter, presenter, programme producer or director. He is shown to possess the ability to limit information received to only relevant ones through editing. He can also expand information available by additional investigation and research to get more facts and sometimes reorganizes available information to follow some order (chronological or logical).

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 2, No. 1, April 2010, 103 – 112.

About the author

Patrick Nkemdilim Ijeh is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Delta State University Abraka,  Nigeria.

Full Article

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Pages: 10

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Article Citation

Ijeh, P. N. (2010): Issues of media gate-keeping in Nigeria: An overview. Journal of Communication and Media Research 2(1): 103 – 112.