Media, Culture, and Child Protection in Nigeria: Deconstructing Norms and the Limits of Rights-Based Journalism

Skip to main Communities My dashboard Log in Sign up Published April 18, 2026 | Version v1 Journal article Open Media, Culture, and Child Protection in Nigeria: Deconstructing Norms and the Limits of Rights-Based Journalism Authors/Creators Timothy Ekeledirichukwu Onyejelem 1 Show affiliations 1.

Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State Description This study interrogates the complex intersection of media, culture, and child protection in Nigeria, highlighting the persistent tension between culturally embedded norms and the universalist ideals underpinning rights-based journalism. Despite Nigeria’s formal commitment to safeguarding children through frameworks such as the Child Rights Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, widespread violations including child abuse, labour, early marriage, and stigmatization remain deeply normalized within socio-cultural contexts. Anchored in Framing Theory, the paper examines how media narratives construct, reinforce, or challenge these cultural logics by selectively emphasizing particular interpretations of child-related issues. It argues that media framing in Nigeria is not neutral but is shaped by institutional constraints, commercial pressures, and dominant cultural beliefs, which often limit the transformative potential of rights-based journalism. The study adopts a qualitative methodology based on secondary data, drawing from peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, legal instruments, and reports from organizations such as UNICEF, alongside analyses of media practices in Nigeria. Findings reveal that while the media serves as a critical platform for advocacy and agenda-setting, it simultaneously reproduces societal norms through episodic reporting, sensationalism, and the marginalization of children’s voices. Furthermore, cultural mediation significantly influences both the interpretation of child protection and the framing of such issues in media discourse, often blurring the boundaries between discipline and abuse. The paper concludes that although rights-based journalism provides a strong normative framework for ethical reporting, its practical application in Nigeria is constrained by entrenched cultural values and structural limitations. It therefore calls for more context-sensitive, child-centred, and ethically grounded media practices that can effectively challenge harmful norms and advance the protection of children’s rights. Files 125-137-Biohs - Timothy Ekeledirichukwu Onyejelem - JUN 2026 LAY.pdf Files (519.6 kB) Name Size Download all 125-137-Biohs - Timothy Ekeledirichukwu Onyejelem - JUN 2026 LAY.pdf md5:8f8c4bbac1e5a222e4469141b261d749 519.6 kB Preview Download Additional details References Ademosu, I., Aondover, E. M., Osadolor, B., & Abraham, B. (2025). Divisive politics: analysis of ethnic rhetoric and hate speech in the 2023 Lagos Governorship elections. Frontiers in Political Science, 7, 1663797. Aondover, E. M. (2024). 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Onyejelem, T.E (2020). Reporting Child Right through film 'language' in Okunna, C.S (ed) Communication and Media Studies: Multiple Perspectives (423 – 439). New Generation Educare Ltd. Onyejelem, T.E, Ezeaka, N.B & Nwafor, O.A (2021) Perceptions of Anambra Residents on Representation of Discrimination against Foster Children in Nollywood Films. Madonna Journal of Communication Studies - (MAJOCS) 3(1), 145-166. Vitalis, P. O., Onyejelem, T. E., & Okuneye, A. P. (2023). Understanding advertising in the era of social media. Information System and Smart City, 3(1), 502-502. 81 Views 42 Downloads Show more details All versions This version Views Total views 81 81 Downloads Total downloads 42 42 Data volume Total data volume 23.4 MB 23.4 MB More info on how stats are collected.... Versions External resources Indexed in OpenAIRE Communities Keywords and subjects Keywords Media framing, child protection, rights-based journalism, cultural norms and media ethics. Details DOI DOI Badge DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19639024 Markdown [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19639024) reStructuredText .. image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19639024.svg :target: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19639024 HTML <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19639024"><img src="https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19639024.svg" alt="DOI"></a> Image URL https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19639024.svg Target URL https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19639024 Resource type Journal article Publisher Britain International for Academic Research Publisher (BIAR-Publisher) Published in BIoHS Journal, Vol 8 No 2(June 2026), 125-137, ISSN: 2685-3868, 2026. Rights License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited. 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