MEDIA COVERAGE AND PERCEPTION OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IN WARRI, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The role of the media in a society cannot be underrated, the media play a very crucial role that can either make or mar a society. Health related matters are very sensitive issues that if not properly managed can make a certain group of persons in a society feel unloved, marginalised or stigmatised. It is on this background that the study sought to investigate media coverage of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and audience’s perception of the impact of the coverage in Warri, Delta State. The study was anchored on the social responsibility theory and agenda setting theory of the media.  A mixed method design was adopted.  The sample was drawn from a set of three populations which were: three selected Newspapers, the population of audience in Warri, and one selected Facebook page in Warri, Delta State. The three selected newspapers studied with large readership were:The Punch newspaper, Vanguard newspaper and The Pointer newspaper whiletheselected Facebook page was Elim-Bridge Autism and Neurodevelopmental Foundation. A sample of 384 respondents was drawn from the Warri local government area of Delta state. Data was collected with survey instruments and analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that,mass media coverage of autism spectrum disorder in Warri, Delta State was limited as values indicated. Only two out of the three most read newspapers in Warri sampled had Autism issue coverage. The two were national newspapers, the punch newspapers had 6 issues coverage andvanguard had 5 issues for the selected Month for the study. While the pointer, the only indigenous newspaper had no issue coverage. The study also discovered that those audience who were aware of ASD attributed it to the mass media this is because, the social media was the largest source of first encounter for respondents as it was the source for 17.7% of respondents. The value for exposure to articles on ASD was not significant (M = 2.3854 ± 41878). The value for seeing posts on ASD was also not significant (M = 2.2370 ± 1.41184). The mean values for audience perception of the impact of media average of ASD in Warri Delta State showed that newspaper and online coverage was not significant, very limited. The study concluded that the media did not play a significant role in creating awareness through coverage, and setting agenda for improving the lives of people with ASD. Based on the findings and conclusion of this study, the study recommended that newspaper and online publishers should devote more space to the coverage of people living with ASD. They should sensitise reporters and the masses on Autism Spectrum Disorder and related challenges.