Content-Pattern of Agricultural News Published in Selected Nigerian Newspapers in 2014

Abstract                                            There is a greater demand and need for accurate and regular information about agriculture by people because many are being motivated and mobilised to return to agriculture which remains the only solution to the current economic crunches being experiencing in the country. Mass media is a major source of information where information needed for agricultural development. However, it has been observed that Nigerian press has always been preoccupied with politics and that little or no attention is given to agricultural sector. The need for Nigerian newspapers to report agricultural news therefore necessitated this research. The research focused on report of three Nigerian newspapers (The Guidance, Daily Independent and The Nation) that were randomly selected between April and June, 2013.Thus, Content Analysis method was used for the study. It was revealed that agricultural news were only reported under news item category and were properly framed. However, the news were not given prominence, pictures were not adequately used to illustrate agricultural news and not regularly reported. It is therefore recommended that agricultural information should be strengthened in newspapers and agricultural journalism should be resuscitated to be able to maximise the potentials of newspapers for agricultural development in Nigeria. Key Words: Content-Analysis, Agenda Setting, Agricultural issues, Content Pattern. ______________ *Adesina Lukuman Azeez, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. **Felix Olayinka Oladipo, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. ***Kaothar Kayode Azeez is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 8, No. 2, October 2016, 244 – 255