Newspaper Coverage of Renewable Energy in Nigeria: Frames, Themes, and Actors

Renewable energy in Nigeria suffers decades of negative public perception and poor understanding. However, current literature shows that technology developers and investors have made far-reaching steps toward improving renewable energy efficiency, giving newspapers strong basis to change the narrative. This study examines the themes, frames, and actors in renewable energy stories to ascertain whether newspapers are changing the narrative. The study adopts Framing Theory to explain the underlying importance of newspapers in shaping public perceptions. Using simple random sampling technique, the study selects four of Nigeria’s 24 national newspapers, with 364 editions as sample size. Findings indicate that newspapers cover a wide range of themes, which researchers see as areas of need. However, framing of themes and actors reflect more of pessimism than progress. Type of actors in stories significantly predicts type of frames used. Government is the most dominant actor, and newspapers frame it as an influencer and policy driver in renewable energy. Newspapers frame investors as technology-driven players, whereas consumers, apart from receiving low attention, are passive actors. The study concludes that too much use of news as content sacrifices the interpretive frames needed to contextualize renewable energy events and actors to influence public perception. The newspapers do not therefore address formerly held negative perceptions of renewable energy in Nigeria.