AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE 2023 FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL CONTROVERSY IN ENUGU STATE NIGERIA

This research work examined audience perception of the media coverage of the 2023 fuel subsidy removal controversy in Enugu State, Nigeria. It employed a survey research design to investigate how the public interpreted and responded to the narratives propagated by media outlets about the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led federal government removal of fuel subsidies. Anchored on Media Framing Theory and Social Conflict Theory, a multistage sampling method was used to select the study areas and the respondents for the study. The population of the study comprised all the residents of Enugu State totaling 4,690,100. A sample size of 385 was determined through the Australian online sample size calculator while a questionnaire served as the primary instrument for data collection. Findings revealed that many respondents viewed media coverage concerning the fuel subsidy removal as biased, suspecting that many of the media output on the issue at the time may be sponsored contents. Specifically, many respondents perceived media messages as politically motivated campaigns lacking the power to influence policy reversal, even as economic hardship continued. The study, therefore, recommended that media organisations should provide balanced and accurate reports on critical economic policies like fuel subsidy removal to build public trust and support informed decision making.