Moral Panics Construction on Drug Abuse in the Nigerian Media

Like other countries in the world, drug abuse is a public health concern in Nigeria. Over the years, governments at various levels and non-state actors have been working towards reducing the flow of illicit drugs and managing their consequences. Despite the efforts, the problem still persists. As stakeholders continue debating the issue in various forums, this study investigates how Nigerian media frame concerns expressed by moral entrepreneurs regarding drug abuse in Nigerian society. The study also explores the framing techniques used in the presentations of these concerns as well as assessing the potential connection between the patterns of illicit drug seizures from 2016 to 2020 and the coverage of the concerns of moral entrepreneurs. In addition to these, the study focuses on developing a moral panic framework for illicit drug abuse. The study uses quantitative content analysis to quantify the views expressed by moral entrepreneurs about drug abuse in Nigeria in The Guardian, The Punch, and Vanguard, which were selected using purposive sampling technique. Four thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven (n = 4,767) quotes were extracted from 1,214 news stories published between 2016 and 2020 to create an empirical database for the study. Content categories, which encompassed thematic and episodic frames, were the research instruments. The frames were determined from direct, indirect, and mixed quotes, which comprised units of analysis. Using Krippendorff's Alpha approach, the inter-coder reliability of the categories ranged from over 50% to 90% of the observed agreement of two independent coders. Hermeneutic analysis, as the second research method, was used to examine the context, content, and meanings of selected quotes towards enhancing quantitative data. The study reveals that moral entrepreneurs use episodic frames most while discussing the issue of narcotics trafficking and use, focusing on legal solutions rather than understanding underlying structural problems and social inequalities. They emphasise criminalisation of narcotics trafficking and use while also deploying social welfare and rehabilitation frames. The study also finds partial use of threatening family co-existence, decriminalisation, rape, domestic violence, sexual assaults, impaired driving, stigmatisation, strained healthcare system, and ethnic vilification frames. Control agencies, governments, non-governmental organisations, professional associations, and medical practitioners are key moral entrepreneurs who sponsor frames and are amplified by selected newspapers. The study also reveals that readers are most likely to react to news stories with prosecution, parental care, mood swings, dangerous use, criminalisation, city focus, and addiction frames. Based on the analyses and findings, the study discovers that moral entrepreneurs employ a panic-driven episodic (PDE) framework to fix individuals involved in illicit drug trading and use of cannabis, tramadol, codeine, cocaine, and heroin. Within the framework, control agencies and governments play critical roles in expressing legal and regulatory claims. The study establishes the complex interplay of deploying thematic and episodic frames among moral entrepreneurs, influenced by social reality and personal perceptions. The study also stresses regional differences in focus on social welfare and health issues and the preference for strict regulations to control drug supply. The study recommends that moral entrepreneurs and media should diversify their frames to address social realities like depression and unemployment and consider regional variations in socio-cultural contexts. Policymakers should review existing policies and interventions, emphasising social support and rehabilitation instead of criminalisation. Readers should critically engage with news coverage while non-governmental organisations develop media literacy programmes to enable readers’ understanding of different perspectives on the problem. Keywords: Drug abuse, framing, media, moral panic, moral entrepreneurs