Public Perception of Media Coverage of the Activities of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in Nigeria

Abstract

This study set out to investigate the awareness level, attention and attitude of the public towards media coverage of the activities of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). It also considered the appraisal of how the public select, organize and interpret stimuli about the commission. Consequent on the above, the study focused on identifying the factors and variables that define the perceptual frame of the public on media coverage of ICPC’s activities. The survey research design was employed in the study while the instruments were the personal interview and questionnaire. From the study population of 13,000, a sample size of 400 was drawn through a multi-stage design. However, only 383 copies of the questionnaires were valid for analysis using the simple percentage to analyze data relevant to the research questions; Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and the Chi-square for testing hypotheses. The study confirmed that ICPC has adequately communicated information about herself in the media with the intent of eliciting adequate attention and awareness on her activities which have been discovered to be high. It established that the public selected stimuli about the ICPC mainly from the print and electronic media as opposed to the established medium of the civil servants - official memo; organized whatever stimuli about the commission based on the rate of exposure towards her activities; past experiences; available information on the ICPC; rate of success recorded by the commission and communicated by the media; societal attitude towards the commission and the physical environment among others; and interpreted stimuli along the degree of media coverage of the commission’s activities as well as her performance in recent times. It was therefore concluded that the public perceived media coverage of the activities of the commission as adequate, necessary, informative and necessary in the fight against corruption but contend that media presentation of the commission is markedly different from what the commission actually is. This conclusion is based on the physiological and psychological factors that define the respondent. The study recommended amongst others that the ICPC should not only publicize her activities, but ensure adequate media coverage directed at specific target groups to achieve adequate communication.