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ABSTRACT
Before the actual newspaper production or broadcast, news stories have to be gathered, written and edited for audience consumption. News gathering therefore, is an essential part of broadcasting and newspaper production. It has been argued by some media scholars that news gathering is fraught with many challenges in Nigeria. The study was conducted to investigate the challenges of news gathering in Nigeria with a focus on Independent Television (ITV) Benin. To achieve the goal of the research, the study adopted the survey method, which entailed the sampling of views of the selected staff of ITV. Secondary or support data was derived through a review of relevant literature on the subject matter. The result of the study showed that indeed, news gathering and reporting in Nigeria and Edo State in particular is fraught with challenges bordering mainly on the socio-political and economic structure of the country. These challenges range from anti-media laws and media regulation and insecurity to poor social infrastructure, poor equipment, poor staff welfare packages/unprofessionalism of reporters and media owners' interferences in the operations of journalists. Among other things, the study recommended that media organizations should strive to provide proper remuneration and welfare packages for journalists to make them remain professional and effective in view of the reality that only a handful of media houses pay attention to the working conditions of their staff despite the fact that remuneration is poor. Journalists who are supposed to cover real public interest and development news are therefore not interested in going to the interior parts of the country because of the cost implications coupled with the fact that they may not get financial gifts from those in the rural settlement to augment their pocket. The study also recommended that media organizations should strive to provide reporters with the adequate and necessary equipment to enhance their news gathering and reporting efficiency and effectiveness.
