Abstract

This study sought to find out whether or not aesthetics is a factor in newspaper selection by academics in South-South Nigeria as well as assesses the applicability of certain aesthetic elements by select newspapers in Nigeria. Two research techniques were adopted – aesthetic content analysis and opinion survey. The aesthetic content analysis is adapted from the content analysis procedure. For the survey, the questionnaire was used as the instrument. The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 381 respondents from the 32 institutions of higher learning in the six states of the South South Geopolitical Zone of the Country. These were used to find out whether aesthetics is a factor in newspaper selection by the respondents. The aesthetic analysis was carried out on six national newspapers, using certain newspaper aesthetic categories namely: balance, contrast, dynamics, focus, unity and proportion. Major findings show that most academics in South South Nigeria are significantly familiar with the concept and principles of newspaper aesthetics; significantly motivated by aesthetic contents of their selected newspapers; and are attracted to most of the aesthetic elements used in the newspapers. The six newspapers, to a great extent, followed the aesthetic principles of modern newspaper production.