Keywords: Newspaper, Management, The Comet, Nigeria
Abstract
The mortality rate of newspapers in Nigeria has been a subject of concern to media scholars and professionals alike. Though a number of studies have been conducted which revealed a wide range of socio-political, economic, and operational factors have been responsible for this unfortunate development (see Olukotun, 2005; Ogbodu, 1996; Park, 1993), this negative trend still persists. This study therefore seeks to identify the factors militating against the survival of newspapers in Nigeria, with particular focus on the defunct Comet Newspaper. In-depth interview and content analysis methods were deployed for data collection. Findings from the study revealed, among other things, that failure of the managers of the Comet Newspaper to adhere strictly to conventional business management principles and practices was largely responsible for the collapse of the newspaper. This paper therefore recommends, among other things, that professional journalists occupying top management positions in newspaper houses in Nigeria should endeavour to take courses in business management and administration.
ANALYSIS OF FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR NEWSPAPER MORTALITY IN NIGERIA: THE COMET NEWSPAPER IN RETROSPECT, 2024, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 36-48. PDF