De-Westernizing Media and Communication Theory in Practice: Toward a More Inclusive Theory for Explaining Exemplification Phenomena

This experimental study models an approach for de-westernizing communication theory by exploring exemplification within a Global South context. Incorporating local knowledge from Nigerian journalists on their motivations for using exemplars in poverty reporting and their anticipated audience outcomes, the study identifies and tests constructs that align with previous experimental studies on exemplification—such as perception of issue significance, awareness of social responsibility to address a social issue, and emotional connection with exemplified group—and those that diverge from previous scholarship—such as trust in media and trust in government. The study also identifies the mediating influence of identification, true to Nigerian journalists’ expectations. By grounding theoretical explanations for exemplification effects on local knowledge from this context, this study challenges the assumption of the universality of exemplification theory, enriches the theory by making it more cumulative, and advances an argument for a more inclusive and just theorizing of exemplification phenomena.