Newspapers’ Framing of Human Trafficking in Nigeria: A Study of Select Newspapers

Trafficking in human beings has become a universal problem in our world today which has led to the heightened expression of concerns by governments, institutions and individuals. Despite the increasing body of research on the coverage of human trafficking by the media, there is dearth of study on how human trafficking stories are framed by the newspapers in covering the issue. The aim, therefore, is to ascertain the frames used by the selected newspapers in reporting human trafficking. This study is significant because it will assist policymakers and legislators in adopting helpful anti-trafficking responses on human trafficking that will have implications for social, economic, political and national development. Using specific frames this study examined the framing of human trafficking in four prominent Nigerian newspapers (The Guardian, The Punch, ThisDay, and Vanguard) published between January 1st, 2016, and December 31st, 2018. Using a content analysis approach, the study analyzed 354 editions of four select newspapers. The study found that the newspapers primarily used straight news as the dominant genre for reporting human trafficking; with child trafficking and sex trafficking being the most commonly reported forms. The enforcement frame was the most prevalent, suggesting that the newspapers focused on highlighting the efforts of law enforcement and government agencies in tackling human trafficking. However, the study also reveals some limitations in the newspapers’ coverage, including a lack of exploration of the underlying socioeconomic and political factors contributing to human trafficking, and missed opportunities to personalize the stories and elicit empathy from readers. The study concludes that while the Nigerian newspapers provided factual and informative reporting on human trafficking, their framing of the issue was somewhat narrow in scope, and recommends that the media should explore more news genres/frames in reporting human trafficking to induce behavioral and attitudinal change among members of the society.