'Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM Press)'
Abstract
Mass media cannot cure virus but can cure its spread. Framing of news stories in the Nigerian
media (newspapers) is much more influenced by the economic motive of the journalists;
picking news angle that arouses readers’ interests in order to sell more copies in the keen
competitive media market. The 2014 Ebola outbreak is a litmus test of how Nigerian media
framed health issues, which depict the news perspective most interest to them. Through
content analysis of two daily newspapers reports of Ebola during the outbreak in Nigeria, this
study established the framing patterns employed while reporting as well as the preponderant
frames used. The outcome is used to justify the priority upheld between the competing
newspapers interests to sell and the media social responsibility towards containing the
outbreak. The much capitalisation on treatment/containment frame portrayed the newspapers
purposive interest to free the society of the outbreak, a reflection of its social responsibility
role. The priority, which pose no threat on the professionalism of journalism was not only
much appraised but also recommended for all media involvement in crisis reports
