ANALYSIS OF THE PUNCH AND GUARDIAN NEWSPAPERS ON FRAMING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines how ‘The Punch’ and ‘The Guardian’ newspapers framed the issue of local government autonomy in Nigeria, focusing on coverage formats, prominence, and dominant news frames. Local government autonomy remains a critical yet contested component of Nigeria’s federal system, as state governments often exercise political and financial control over local councils, undermining grassroots governance, democratic participation, and effective service delivery. Guided by Agenda-Setting and Framing theories, the study explains how newspaper coverage shapes public understanding and policy discourse on local government autonomy. A quantitative content analysis design was adopted. The population comprised all weekday and weekend editions of The Punch and The Guardian published between July and December 2024, totaling 368 editions. Using purposive sampling, 120 articles that directly addressed local government autonomy were selected and systematically coded. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics to examine article formats, level of prominence, and dominant frames. Findings show that both newspapers relied largely on straight news reports, with limited use of editorials, features, or opinion columns that could provide deeper interpretation. Most stories were placed on inside pages, thereby restricting the agenda-setting capacity of the issue, although The Punch provided relatively higher front-page visibility than The Guardian. Dominant frames centred on governance challenges, financial autonomy, and legislative reforms, reflecting mainly elite and bureaucratic perspectives. Citizen-centred narratives that foreground grassroots experiences and service delivery concerns were largely marginalised. The study concludes that although The Punch and The Guardian demonstrate commitment to reporting on local government autonomy, their coverage is constrained by limited depth, modest prominence, and elite-driven framing. It recommends increased investigative reporting, sustained front-page attention, and greater inclusion of citizen-oriented frames to strengthen the media’s role in promoting democratic accountability and effective grassroots governance in Nigeria