Diverse voices in media coverage play a crucial role in shaping a more inclusive and accurate representation of societies. They ensure that a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and identities are reflected in media content, thus, increasing the representation of diverse shapes of opinions to help build audience trust.

When media platforms include diverse voices in their reportage, audiences feel seen and heard, and these help the media to challenge stereotypes and bias, breaking down preconceived notions and fostering understanding among different groups.

It is in light of the above that tracking the trend of media coverage of inclusive voices is essential. It underscores the need to access media’s level of creativity and innovation in storytelling and its ability, being a powerful tool for social change, to amplify the voices of the marginalised community such as women, youths, and persons with disabilities.

The ongoing media monitoring exercise by the International Press Centre which focuses on the 2023 electoral process and post election governance issues, has continued to keep tabs on the trend of media coverage of inclusive groups, including women, youths, and persons with disabilities.

The findings presented in this report represent the trend of media reporting of the voices of the inclusive groups and the issues around their political participation between January and February 2024, particularly as they pertained to the upcoming off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo States.

The unit of analysis revolves around the source-participation and electoral issues critical to the political participation of the inclusive groups.

Source-representation.

Source participation refers to the frequency of stories where women and other inclusive groups were used as sources in the print and online media within the period.

What does the data show in January 2024?

In January 2024, a total of 739 reports were tracked, utilizing 563 sources in the print media. Of these, female/women voices and other inclusive groups accounted for 3.2% of the total sources used, as against December’s recorded percentage of 4.6%, indicating a 1.4% decrease in source representation.

However, in the online media in the same period, a total of 277 reports were tracked, utilizing 184 sources. Among these, inclusive groups recorded a 4.2% source representation. This percentage reflects a 10.7% decrease compared to December’s recorded percentage of 14.9%.

In sum, while the inclusive voices accounted for 3.2% in the print media for January 2024, there was an upscale of 4.2% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 1%.

Electoral issues

This refers to the frequency of stories where the issues related to women and other inclusive groups were reported in the print and online media within the period.

Electoral issues of the inclusive groups include participation processes such as the ability to vote and be voted for; the ability to be elected or be appointed in positions of leadership; challenges facing affirmative actions; and issues around stereotypes among others. The objective of this monitoring was to access the media’s roles in upscaling the visibility around inclusivity issues that would eventually engender greater participation in the electoral process.

In January 2024, out of the 739 stories monitored in the print media, topics related to Youths, Women, and People-With-Disabilities were featured in 13 stories, accounting for 2.4% of the total relevant stories.

This percentage reflects a 3.2% decrease compared to December’s record of 5.6%. While the numbers have dipped, continued attention to these vital issues remains crucial!

In the online media for the same period, 276 stories were monitored. Of these, electoral issues related to inclusive groups were featured in 21 stories, accounting for 7.6% of the total relevant stories.

This percentage reflects a 7.9% decrease compared to December’s recorded percentage of 15.5%.

In sum, in January, while the stories covering the electoral issues of the inclusive groups in the print media accounted for 2.4%, there was an upscale of  7.6% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 5.2%.

What does the data show in February 2024?

In February 2024, a total of 513 reports were tracked, utilizing 414 sources in the print media. Among these, Female/Women voices and other inclusive groups accounted for 3% of the total sources. This percentage represents a 0.2% increase compared to January’s recorded percentage of 3.2%.

In the online media, Female/Women’s voices and other inclusive groups have seen a significant boost in representation in February 2024. They accounted for 8.6% of the total sources, marking a substantial increase from January’s recorded percentage of 3.2%.

In February, while the inclusive voices accounted for 3% in the print media, there was an upscale of 8.6% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 5.6%.

This upward trend reflects a positive shift toward amplifying diverse perspectives!

Inclusive Coverage of Electoral Issues

In the print media, out of the 513 stories monitored in February 2024, topics related to Youths, Women, and People-With-Disabilities were featured in 13 stories, accounting for 2.3% of the total relevant stories. This represents a 0.1% decrease compared to January’s recorded percentage of 2.4%. The ongoing coverage of these critical issues is commendable!

In the online media, out of the 205 stories monitored, topics related to Youths, Women, and People-With-Disabilities were featured in 24 stories, accounting for 11.7% of the total relevant stories. This represents a 4.1% increase compared to January’s recorded percentage of 7.6%.

In February, while the stories covering the electoral issues of the inclusive groups in the print media accounted for 2.3%, there was an upscale of  11.7% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 9.4%.

In summary, findings show that inclusive voices were upscaled in the online media than the print media. As the data shows, the inclusive voices accounted for 3.2% in the print media in January 2024, and an upscale of 4.2% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 1%.

Again, the coverage of the inclusive electoral issues in January accounted for 2.4% in the print media, with an upscale of 7.6% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 5.2%.

In February, while the inclusive voices accounted for 3% in the print media, there was an upscale of 8.6% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 5.6%.

Again, in February, while the stories covering the electoral issues of the inclusive groups in the print media accounted for 2.3%, there was an upscale of 11.7% in the online media, reflecting a significant difference of 9.4%.

One other major finding in this piece demonstrates unequal access to women and other inclusive groups as sources of news stories. It corroborates the existing findings as revealed in a   recent session  by Dr. Titi Osuagwu, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies of the University of Port Harcourt and Dr. Fatimah Shaibu, Department of Mass Communications, Polytechnic Kaduna. According to them, a significant gender disparity in source representation exists and it occurred during the 2019 General Elections, with men overwhelmingly dominating political narratives at 85.7% compared to a mere 4% contribution from women.

On a general note, the political participation of the inclusive groups as shown in the existing findings still reflects the passive way they were portrayed within the period under review (January-February 2024).

For instance, despite the upscaled voices of the inclusive groups in the electoral process in the build-up to the off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo states, a survey shows that the primary elections in Edo state which were reeled with internal disputes among parties were without women’s voices in resolutions/reconciliations process.

Even where the inclusive voices were heard, like the protests that rocked the Edo APC primary election, supervised by the Imo State Governor, women and youths were reported as leading the protest, even where their electoral chances were not the major concerns, but that of male politicians. An instance of this was  reported thus:

I, comrade Tony Kabaka, the state APC youth leader, wish to apologise to our leaders, women leaders of our great party, and all our youths as regards the conduct of aggrieved APC youths during the party primary which took place on the 17th February 2024.

It is thereby suggested that, while the numbers have upscaled, it’s essential to continue advocating for diverse voices and perspectives. It’s not only essential to continue monitoring these critical issues and advocate for their visibility in media but also heartening to see a growing representation of diverse voices in media coverage.

By way of recommendation, journalists should employ storytelling techniques to captivate audiences effectively, adhere to ethical standards and utilise a variety of investigative tools, including interviews, observations, shorthand, and investigative methods, to gather comprehensive reports on inclusive issues.