Abstract

This study examined the attitude of readers towards development messages in community newspapers in Delta State of Nigeria using two community newspapers published in the Isoko councils of the state, namely, Isoko Mirror and Isoko Times Extra. The study was guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory and it adopted the survey research method. A sample of 240 respondents was drawn from inhabitants of Isoko South and Isoko North local government councils. The study revealed that attitude towards the newspapers was below average as respondents who did not read the newspapers and those who were not sure if they read the newspapers combined together, were more than 35.9% of the population. 23.7% of respondents said they found issues of democracy as the leading development messages in the selected newspapers, followed by culture, 23.3%, and education 22.9%. The study thus recommends that journalists working in community newspapers should cover more of local stories, if local newspapers must survive and continue the task of informing and mobilizing indigenes for development efforts.

Key Words: Community Newspapers, Development Messages, Readers, Isoko Newspapers, Attitude.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 6, No. 2, October  2014, 143 – 162 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the author

Alex Eloho Umuerri is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

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