Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1985

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

George Everett

Committee Members

Herbert H. Howard, Mark Miller

Abstract

This study is an examination of the coverage of the Nigerian civil war, 1967-1970, by three American newsmagazines. Time, Newsweek, and US News & World Report; a British newsmagazine. The Economist; and an African magazine. West Africa.

The western magazines were analyzed using the content analysis method for the volume of their coverage and the possible influences of (a) source location of the coverage; (b) use of the services of the public relations firms by Nigeria and Biafra; and (3) the occurrence of four significant events during the crisis period on the magazines' level of coverage. West Africa's coverage is critically analyzed to give us the coverage pattern of a non-western news magazine.

The findings indicate some influence in coverage due to its source location particularly in relation to the direction and level of coverage. There is no concrete indication of any influence on the coverage due to use of the PR firms. Also, the findings suggest there is no significant awareness by the newsmagazines of the significant events.

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