THE ROLE OF NEWSPAPER COVERAGE IN CHILD TRAFFICKING AND LABOUR IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the face of growing violence, war, abject poverty, child trafficking, and a slew of other vices that demean our race, the necessity to safeguard the child as the most vulnerable part of our society becomes critical. The status of children and children's rights is becoming increasingly uncertain across the world's nations and continents, particularly in war-torn places (Akpan & Oluwabamide, 2010).

Trafficking in persons (TIP), particularly of children, as well as child maltreatment and forced labor, are some of the most heinous aberrations from the notion of a kid's cultural upbringing. The extreme exploitations, abuses, and deprivations inflicted on these youngsters as a result of human trafficking and forced labor circumstances have been detrimental to their development and, by extension, the development of society. Continued abuses and exploitation would gravely harm children's developing potential, jeopardizing the entire nation's future.

Clark & Yesufu, (2014) posits that child labor is a common occurrence in Nigeria nowadays. This is particularly true in cities. Labor is a type of industry in which the vendor  travels goods from one area to another in order to find possible customers.  Child laborers are school-age youngsters (at school or as street sellers) who, for whatever reason, take on work that an adult should accomplish regardless of the repercussions.

Many children are mistreated, raped, and trafficked to countries where they face inhumane treatment. The press, as the society's watchdog, has a social obligation to report on reports of child trafficking in its stories, comments, features, and news.

 According to studies, children mix school instruction and street sales to contribute to family survival, study supplies, and school tuition payment (Johnson, & Ihesie, 2015). Due to Nigeria's tough economic circumstances, most children have resorted to fending for themselves thereby neglecting school and school work  Ayodele and Olubayo-Fatiregun, (2014); Idris, Yahaya, Sambo, Muazu, and Isa, 2014).

According to Uchem (2008), more than two hundred years after the formal abolition of slave trade and slavery, slave trade has reappeared in a new form known as human trafficking. According to Nwodu (2007), the research's backdrop must be able to point to a vivid mental image of the circumstance that gave origin to the study. In other words, the study's motivation stems from the premise that children are underreported in the media.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

According to  (Shailong, Onuk, & Beshi, 2011), the importance of children's role in any community cannot be overstated. It is reasonable to suppose that the presence of children is required for the continuance of human existence in society. This is due to the fact that when people pass on to the great beyond or get too elderly to go on with life activities, today's youngsters are expected to fill their roles. Based on the preceding, it is rather upsetting to witness these youngsters subjected to a sequence of neglect, slave trade, abuse, dehumanization, and torture in the name of child trafficking.

Thousands of youngsters are purportedly transported across borders each year and sold as commodities. As a result of this heinous tendency, their existence and growth are constantly jeopardized, as is their right to life.

It is stated that child work has numerous negative implications for their lives and living situations. It is already depicted in the current research that using children for labor, in general, damages children's mental health and development. If children are involved in child labor, there are four types of child abuses to consider: physical assault, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, and neglect. Child labor, on the other hand, refers to many forms of child exploitation that fail to meet a child's fundamental necessities, such as access to school and housing. Exploitation can take many forms, including insufficient food intake, bad living conditions, denial of medical treatment, and hazardous jobs (Lamani and Venumadahava 2014). A child laborer gets estranged from the rest of his or her family and community, has poor self-esteem, and engages in self-destructive behavior such as drug use and alcohol use. The contents and pages devoted to children in newspapers appear to be insufficient for a comprehensive report on youngsters.

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the role of newspaper coverage in child trafficking and labour in Nigeria. Specifically, other objectives of the study are:

i.          To find out the extent of coverage of child trafficking and labour by newspaper media

ii.        To find out the impact of newspaper coverage on child trafficking and labour

iii.      To find out the challenges newspapers face in the coverage on child trafficking and labour news.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study will answer the following questions:

i.          To what extent has newspaper media covered child trafficking and labour?

ii.        What are the impact of newspaper coverage on child trafficking and labour?

iii.      What are the challenges newspapers face in the coverage on child trafficking and labour news?

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study on the role of newspaper coverage in child trafficking and labour in Nigeria will in no doubt serve as a relevant material to all individuals, organizations and the Governments as it reveals the power of newspaper in the coverage of child trafficking and labour. This study will also assist other researchers who may for one reason or the other carryout research on topics related the one under study.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on examining the role of newspaper coverage in child trafficking and labour in Nigeria. Specifically, the study will also focus on finding out the extent of coverage of child trafficking and labour by newspaper media and finding out the impact of newspaper coverage on child trafficking and labour.

In addition, the study will also focus on the challenges newspapers face in the coverage on child trafficking and labour news.

Staff of Cross River State Broadcasting Service (CRBC) will serve as enrolled participants for the survey.

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Like all human endeavour, this research work was not without some factors that tended to jeopardize the smooth completion of the study. One of the factors is on the fact that the period of time allowed for this work was short that the researcher did not have enough time to do a thorough job.

Also the researcher in the course of data collection, had to put in extra effort to interpreting interviews schedule of the respondents, some who fall within the in comprehensible age limit. Additionally, there were financial and transit constraints.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Role: the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.

Newspaper: a printed publication (usually issued daily or weekly) consisting of folded unstapled sheets and containing news, articles, advertisements, and correspondence.

Child labour: Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful

Child trafficking: Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labor and exploitation

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