IMPACT OF NEWSPAPER COVERAGE ON THEATRE PUBLICITY, POPULARITY AND PATRONAGE IN NIGERIA

This study examined and measured the impact of newspaper coverage on theatre publicity, popularity and patronage in Nigeria. The work appraises the extent to which Nigerian newspapers (by extension, the media) are contributing toward enhancing theatre publicity, popularity and patronage in Nigeria. The study utilized questions such as: do newspapers presently give attention to and thus provide publicity to theatres and their programmes? Is such attention worthwhile (adequate) under the present scheme of things or need to be intensified? How often do newspapers report theatre events? Do newspapers report theatre events more as features than as straight news, editorial or letters to editors? Coding schedule was used as the measuring instrument for data collection. A purposively selected sample comprising three Nigerian newspapers was studied. Content analysis research method was applied in carrying out the study. The study revealed that the contribution(s) of Nigerian newspapers to theatre popularity and patronage through publicity provided by their news coverage/feature stories is very minimal and grossly inadequate premised on the following findings: they do not give prominent attention to theatre events and programmes. They hardly report (place) news about theatre events and programmes on the front pages. They do not frequently report theatre events and programmes. Furthermore, they do not utilize features in presenting theatre events or programmes stories. The study therefore recommended that theatre producers and managers should intensify newspaper publicity options by setting up private newspapers or establishing mutually beneficial links with popular newspapers in view of promoting theatre publicity, popularity and patronage in Nigeria.