PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF THE 2023 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN CROSS RIER STATE: A STUDY OF NIGERIAN CHRONICLE

This study investigated public perception of newspaper coverage of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Cross River State, a study of Nigerian Chronicle Newspaper. To achieve this, three objectives were formulated to give the study a focus. The study was anchored on Agenda Setting Theory and Social Responsibility Theory. The study adopted the survey research design. The population of the study consisted of public servants, business men/women and students. The study adopted a sample size of 200 respondents. It employed the systematic random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. The data collected from the field was analyzed using simple percentage table. The findings of the study revealed that Nigerian Chronicle reported news on the 2023 gubernatorial election in Cross River State. The findings of the study also revealed that respondents agreed that they perceived news stories in the Nigerian Chronicle on the 2023 Gubernatorial election in Cross River State as biased. Again, the findings of the study showed that majority of respondents agreed that ownership control can influence the type of news reported on Nigerian Chronicle newspaper. The study recommended that there is need to acknowledge as submitted by different authors that while the newspapers are seriously and positively impacting the democratic process in Nigeria and elsewhere, there is need for caution in its use because newspapers have demonstrated the capacity to increase the articulation and spread of hate speeches and disparaging the personality of candidates. The gubernatorial elections provide ample opportunity for candidates on how to amplify the profound positive roles of social media in upcoming elections. The study recommended that the Nigerian newspapers should not hesitate to criticize and give account of investigations in Elections. The study also concluded that Nigerian newspapers should educate their reporters through capacity building on how to report issues that will foster elections awareness. This will help hasten and increase the level to which the citizens become po