EXPLORING NEWS EDITORS’ ADVOCACY ON SOOT AND WASTE DISPOSAL IN PORT HARCOURT NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was undertaken to explore the practice of advocacy journalism among news editors in Port Harcourt on the menace of environmental challenges of soot and solid waste disposal in the Rivers State metropolis. News editors of 13 private radio stations in Port Harcourt formed the population for the study. The research instrument was an interview that was based on structured questions framed to extract primary data from the population.The qualitative method was adopted in analysing the data. Among other findings, the study unravelled that the practice of advocacy journalism among news editors on soot and indiscriminate dumping of solid waste is weak in Port Harcourt. More so, the study ascertained that none of the news editors adopted news commentary as an approach in the advocacy on soot and indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in Port Harcourt. Given the findings, it is recommended that news reports on soot and indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in Port Harcourt should be done regularly to strengthen the advocacy and contribute to change of attitudes of the masses toward the environment. It is also recommended, among others that news commentary should be adopted by news editors in Port Harcourt as part of the strategies to advance advocacy on soot menace and indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in that city, due to the educative, expository and detailed nature of the commentary.