An assessment of media coverage of child online protection (COP) in Zambia: a case of Zambia daily mail and daily nation.
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Date
2023
Authors
Chaaba, Hanford Advent
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
This study is aimed at assessing the extent and quality of media coverage of Child Online Protection (COP) by the media in Zambia; a case of Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspaper. The study was aimed at establishing the risks children encounter when they are online and also the quantity (frequency) of COP coverage in the Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspapers. Additionally, the study sought to examine the policies of the Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspapers on the coverage of COP issues, and to analyse the challenges that journalists from Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation encounter when covering COP. The findings have revealed that COP related issues receive poor or low coverage in Zambian Newspapers. Furthermore, the findings have indicated that topics relating to Child Online Protection are not given the prominence they deserve by the print media. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research designs, with the quantitative content analysis of the two newspapers for the
2021 months of January, February, March and April being the major part used to collect data. This saw a total number of 242 newspaper editions analysed in the four (4) months period of the study. Further, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and desktop research were
used to collect data from selected newspapers (editors and reporters), parents, ZICTA official and pupils. Research instruments used were structured questionnaires, content analysis coding sheets, semi-structured interview schedule and FGD guide. Two theories, Agenda Setting as well as Media
Information Dependency Theory, were utilised to contextualise the study. The Agenda Setting Theory was key in informing the study on how the media can set the agenda by telling the public what to talk and think about or discuss, which in this case was COP. Equally, the Media Information Dependency Theory the theory is relevant in helping to understand how heavily dependent on various media platforms the public, including children, had become. This study shows that COP coverage by Zambian newspapers is very low and not given the importance or prominence it deserves. This can be seen from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the newspaper content which indicated that COP issues are given very little priority especially that only 31 stories out of 10,680 stories were published between January and April 2021 in the two daily newspapers. This represents 0.6 percent of the total number of stories published during this period under study. Other than the low coverage established, it was also clear that most of the COP articles did not have children’s voices. This meant that children’s views and opinions were not heard on issues that affected them. Further, the children interviewed in the FGDs stated that there was no deliberate drive to dedicate space to children’s issues generally including COP, and that if
a story on COP or any other issue that borders on children welfare is to be published, it will be given very small space in newspapers. This tends to make it difficult for children to have a clear interpretation and comprehension of the published COP related article. There is need for newspapers to improve and increase the coverage of COP and give it the prominence or importance it deserves, involve children when developing stories that they intend to provide them with, develop policies and strategies that will help guide their coverage of COP related issues.
Description
Thesis of Master in Mass Communication (MMC).