Exploration Into Usage, Frequency, and Prominence of Propaganda Devices by Political Parties in Nigerian Newspapers During the 2019 Electioneering Campaigns

The study explored the usage, frequency and prominence of placements of propaganda devices by All Progressives Congress and People’s Democratic Party in select Nigerian newspapers during the 2019 electioneering campaigns. Content analysis design was used. Sample size of 288 was drawn from a population of 1,096 daily and weekly editions of four national newspapers in Nigeria between July 2018 and March 2019. Systematic sampling technique and intercoder reliability of 92% were used. The study found that propaganda devices were effectively used by political parties with grave implications for the processes of political communications in Nigeria. The most used propaganda devices were name-calling and bandwagon while the least used was transfer. These appeared more daily, placed in the front and inside pages, and helped to advance the tenets of agenda-setting and propaganda theories. It concluded that the usage, frequency, and prominence of placements of propaganda devices are effectually important in the entire process of electioneering, coverage, and mobilization, but recommended a professional use of propaganda to mitigate its reference as a negative tool of communication.