Impact of Ethnic-Religious Framing in Nigerian Newspapers on Political Participation and Voter Behaviour during the 2023 General Election Campaigns

This study examined how ethnic-religious framing in Nigerian newspapers influenced political participation and voters’ behaviour during the 2023 general election cycle. The researchers adopted the framing theory as its theoretical framework, emphasising how media frames shape public perception and political behaviour through selective presentation of information. The study employed a mixed-method design combining content analysis of 2,400 newspaper articles from six major Nigerian dailies and a survey of 384 respondents selected through stratified random sampling from registered voters across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. Data collection utilised structured coding sheets for content analysis and questionnaire with five-point Likert scales, analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and correlation analysis. Major findings revealed pervasive ethnic-religious framing in Nigerian newspaper coverage, with 67.8% of political articles containing explicit ethnic or religious references. The study identified significant correlations between exposure to ethnically-framed content and voting patterns (r = 0.623, p < 0.001), with voters demonstrating stronger preference for co-ethnic candidates when exposed to high levels of ethnic framing. Religious framing showed similar effects (r = 0.587, p < 0.001), particularly influencing voter turnout in religiously homogeneous communities. The research also documented increased political participation rates among groups subjected to identity-based mobilisation frames, with participation increasing by 23.4% in heavily framed constituencies compared to neutral coverage areas.,The study concludes that ethnic-religious framing in Nigerian newspapers significantly shapes political participation and voter behaviour, functioning as a powerful tool for political mobilisation that can both enhance democratic participation and exacerbate social divisions. The study recommended implementing media literacy programmes to enhance critical consumption of political news, establishing professional guidelines for balanced political reporting that minimise divisive identity frames Keywords: Ethnic-Religious Framing, Newspaper Coverage, Political Participation, Voter Behaviour, 2023 General Election, Nigeria, Media Influence