A Comparative Study Of Newspaper Coverage Of Rural/urban Problems In Imo State
[A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF DAILY CHAMPION, THE SUN AND VANGUARD NEWSPAPERS]

Interestingly, enough, it seems to be widely accepted after many years of experimentation that the locally -based small newspaper, rather than the urban big newspaper is more useful for development journalism (Oso and Adebayo 1990), providing balanced and critical reportage of issues, process, and events in a community and acti ng as a catalyst for improving the peoples living standards.
Consequently, it is the desire of this study that its recommendations and findings be thoroughly studied, adopted and implemented by government at all levels. Such an action will, no doubt, result in a satisfactorily -objective and result- oriented reporting of rural issues by capitalist private newspapers and elitist national dailies.
The national or regional media is expected to give full coverage to events in all sections of society. This ranges from the affluent to the poor, from the urban to the hinterland. But this is always so. While having burning desire to fulfill their role fairly and adequately, there are constraints militating against achieving this.
These constraints include:
a.    Shortage of staff
b.    limited    equipment    like    transportation,    communication gadgets,
c.    Limited funds for staff assignmen t support
d.    Poor editorial planning.
The print media rarely covers, as previously states, these areas. The electronic media allots v ery limited to these rural areas.
Though some print media allot pages to community news, the coverage is not in depth. Discussions and serious analysis are missing, and it all boils down to window dressing.
As studies in recent times have shown, the low co verage of urban/rural problems in the society id due largely to the following deficiencies on the part of our print media:
a.    No Target area.
Targeting an area means picking on sp ecific areas within a demographic zone and covering them. Such issues as development projects, culture and professions should take precedence in coverage over less important matters. As it is today, it is only when there is an epidemic like cholera or guinea worm or mealy bug that reporters are sent to cover such affected area. To rectify this, there should be areas of news interest, with boats or assignments given. A careful distribution of time and space should be made. A study of the news sources, potential news out breakers should be conducted and faithfully watched. Issues should also be placed in perspective and covered.
b.    Lack on - the-sport coverage.
Only those at the scene of events and incidents can write authoritative about them. Any other information is hearsay. So, the reporter must investigate in order to be credible. Where a reporter is kilometers away, the story might go stale by the time he gets to the scene. To rectify this, correspondents or stringers should be stationed in local government areas or strategic towns to cover potential news and event. His dispatches should be meritoriously considered and published.
c.    Coverage id general not specific.
The coverage given to issues is often superficial. It does not go into details issues. An antidote to this is in depth approach to it:
when did it happen before and where? Why did it start here? What is the solution? Hence the media must give answers to curatives and preventives, and not only sedatives and palliatives.