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MEDIA FRAMING OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: ANALYSIS OF COVERAGE IN NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS’ EDITIONS CIRCULATED IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.

Abstract

This thesis examines the media framing of gender-based violence (GBV) in national newspapers circulated in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study analyzes how GBV is portrayed, highlighting patterns that may reinforce stereotypes or promote awareness. The methodology employed is quantitative content analysis, focusing on three prominent national dailies: The Punch, Vanguard, and The Guardian. A purposive sample of 300 editions from January 2020 to December 2025 was selected, with articles coded for dominant frames (e.g., episodic vs. thematic), story prominence (page placement and headline size), sources quoted, language/tone (e.g., victim-blaming or empowering), and overall implications for public perception and survivor support. Findings indicate that episodic framing dominates coverage, often sensationalizing individual incidents while downplaying systemic gender inequalities, with limited front-page prominence and frequent use of controversial or neutral tones that subtly blame victims. The research underscores the urgent need for ethical, thematic, and survivor-centered journalism to effectively combat GBV and shift societal attitudes in high-prevalence regions like Rivers State.

1.1 Background of the Study
Gender-based violence (GBV) constitutes a global human rights violation and public health emergency, disproportionately affecting women and girls through physical, sexual, psychological, economic, and structural harms rooted in unequal power dynamics (Ezeaka & Bartholomew, 2025). In Nigeria, the issue remains endemic, with national estimates indicating that approximately 30% of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence and 11% sexual violence, often within intimate partnerships or family settings (as cited in recent systematic reviews characterizing GBV among adolescent girls and young women). These patterns are compounded by cultural norms, economic dependencies, and inadequate institutional responses, leading to underreporting and impunity.

Within this national landscape, Rivers State, particularly its capital, Port Harcourt, exhibits heightened vulnerability due to unique socio-economic and environmental factors. As an oil-rich urban hub characterized by migration, inequality, poverty, and social disruptions from industrial activities, the state records alarmingly high GBV prevalence. Comparative studies of rural and urban communities in Rivers State report overall sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) rates of 85.9% in rural areas and 79.5% in urban areas, with physical violence (67.3% rural vs. 58.9% urban), sexual violence (72.6% rural vs. 64.9% urban), and socioeconomic violence showing statistically significant urban-rural disparities (Adeyemo, 2023). In Port Harcourt metropolis, post-COVID-19 assessments among young people indicate GBV prevalence around 57.7%, while broader municipal evidence highlights severe consequences such as depression (49.1% of affected women), high mortality (23.0%), and mental health disorders (Enimapopo & Nwamadi, 2023; Invictus Africa, 2024). Reported cases surged notably in 2023, with 800 incidents documented, underscoring persistent gaps in support services, including the absence of specialized Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in Rivers State despite needs in high-density urban areas like Port Harcourt.

Mass media, especially national newspapers, function as powerful agents in constructing social reality, agenda-setting, and influencing public attitudes toward social problems like GBV. Through selective emphasis, omission, and presentation, media framing determines whether GBV is perceived as isolated incidents, private matters, or systemic gender inequalities requiring collective action (Kanabe & Okere, 2025). In Nigeria, however, coverage often falls short of this transformative potential.  Analyses reveal that newspapers frequently employ episodic framing, centering individual events with sensational details, over thematic framing that links cases to broader patriarchal structures, policy failures, or prevention strategies (Ahoo et al., 2025; Kanabe & Okere, 2025). Studies of major dailies such as The Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian, The Sun, and others during periods like the COVID-19 lockdown show low prominence (stories predominantly on inside pages), inconsistent frequency, victim-blaming tones, reliance on official/police sources over survivor voices, and headlines that trivialize or provoke controversy (Nkwam-Uwaoma et al., 2020; Governor & Clever, 2022).

In the context of Port Harcourt, where national newspapers like The Punch, Vanguard, and The Guardian enjoy wide circulation amid elevated local GBV burdens, such framing patterns carry amplified consequences. Sensational or marginalized reporting can reinforce stigma, deter survivors from seeking help, perpetuate gender stereotypes, and diminish urgency for state-level interventions in Rivers State (Ahoo et al., 2025). This interplay between high regional prevalence and problematic national media representations creates a critical scholarly imperative to examine how these newspapers frame GBV in editions accessible to Port Harcourt audiences, illuminating pathways for more ethical, empowering, and impactful journalism.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite intensified national awareness campaigns and legislative measures such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, gender-based violence (GBV) continues to escalate at alarming rates in Nigeria. Federal records indicate over 10,000 reported cases within the first nine months of 2025 alone (Ezeaka & Bartholomew, 2025). In Rivers State, particularly Port Harcourt, structural vulnerabilities exacerbate the crisis. These include economic instability, entrenched cultural norms tolerating violence, and insufficient support systems, all compounded by pervasive underreporting due to stigma and systemic impunity (Adeyemo, 2023; Enimapopo & Nwamadi, 2023).

National newspapers, as key agenda-setting institutions, frequently neglect their responsibility to address these systemic issues through ethical framing. Analyses reveal a tendency toward episodic framing, which sensationalizes individual incidents while obscuring structural causes (Kanabe & Okere, 2025; Ahoo et al., 2025). Such coverage often relegates GBV stories to low-visibility sections and employs language that implicitly blames victims or minimizes perpetrator accountability. For instance, domestic violence incidents are occasionally trivialized as “lover’s quarrels,” and narratives disproportionately emphasize survivors’ behaviors, thereby reinforcing harmful stereotypes (Ahoo et al., 2025). Within Port Harcourt, major national dailies such as The Punch and Vanguard demonstrate inconsistent prioritization of GBV-related content, frequently overshadowing it with other news items. This editorial practice diminishes public urgency and reinforces societal indifference (Governor & Clever, 2022).

The cumulative effect of such framing deficiencies includes persistently low reporting rates among survivors, weak policy implementation in Rivers State, and the perpetuation of gender inequities. A critical gap exists in scholarly research examining localized framing trends in Port Harcourt-circulated national newspapers, particularly amid escalating GBV prevalence. This study seeks to address that gap by exposing these systemic media failures and advocating for transformative journalistic practices.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. Examine predominant frames in GBV reporting.
2. Assess prominence of GBV stories.
3. Identify sources cited in coverage.
4. Analyze language and tone used.
5. Evaluate framing implications on perception.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What predominant frames appear in GBV reporting?
2. What prominence level do GBV stories receive?
3. Which sources are cited most in coverage?
4. What language and tone characterize the reports?
5. What implications does framing have on public perception?

1.5 Significance of the Study
This study enhances comprehension of media influence within gender-based violence discourse, providing journalists with evidence-based strategies for employing empowering narrative frames. It equips Rivers State policymakers with data-driven approaches to media utilization in prevention campaigns while advancing scholarly discourse on framing theory adaptations within Nigerian sociocultural contexts. Ethical reporting guidelines proposed herein may mitigate survivor stigmatization through responsible representation.

1.6 Scope of the Study
Analysis is restricted to gender-based violence coverage in print editions of The Punch, Vanguard, and The Guardian distributed in Port Harcourt between 2020–2025. Broadcast media and digital platforms fall outside this study’s purview to maintain focus on print media framing mechanisms.

1.7 Limitations of the Study
Research constraints include potential archival access barriers and subjectivity inherent in manual content analysis, which may affect coding reliability. Findings cannot be extrapolated to all Nigerian dailies due to the three-publication sample.

1.8 Definition of Terms

• Gender-Based Violence (GBV): Acts causing physical, sexual, or psychological harm based on gender.
• Media Framing: Selection and emphasis of aspects in news to promote specific interpretations.
• Prominence: Placement and frequency of stories in newspapers.
• Tone: Positive, negative, or neutral language in reports.

References

Adeyemo, C. (2023). Prevalence of sexual and gender based violence: A comparative study of rural and urban communities in Rivers State, Nigeria. Nigerian Medical Journal, 64(1), 155–162. https://doi.org/10.60787/NMJ-64-1-261

Ahoo, T. J., Nyajoh, M. E., Kete, T. T., & Annger, O. K. (2025). Gender based violence, sexual harassment and the media in Nigeria. University of Jos Journal of Political Science, 2(2), 148–165.

Chukwu, A. (2020). Media representation of gender-based violence in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Communication Studies, 14(2), 55–78.

Enimapopo, E. T., & Nwamadi, L. (2023). Causes and consequences of domestic violence among married women in Port Harcourt metropolis of Rivers state. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy, 7(5), 178–186.

Ezeaka, N. B., & Bartholomew, C. E. (2025). Gender-based violence in Nigeria: Exploring the role of communication in prevention and intervention strategies. Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(2), 69–74. https://doi.org/10.36348/sjhss.2025.v10i02.004

Governor, R. E., & Clever, A. (2022). An assessment of newspaper coverage of gender violence in Nigeria. Journal of Global Social Sciences, 3(11), 227–243.

Invictus Africa. (2024). Womanity Index 2024: Rivers State profile. https://invictusafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/RIVERS.pdf

Kanabe, M., & Okere, S. (2025). Newspaper framing of domestic violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The International Journal of African Language and Media Studies, 5(2), 39–50.