Content Analysis of Hate Speech in the 2023 General Elections in Two Selected Newspapers in Nigeria

Hate speech is one of the communication challenges affecting the human society. Not restricted to any group, ethnicity or country, but rather a global mass phenomenon. Election is a common phenomenon where the masses raise accusative and provocative statements resultant to hate speech to individuals or specified groups. The research therefore aims to comparatively examine the prevalence of hate speech in The Nation and Vanguard newspapers. The study utilizes Agenda Setting and Framing theory in explaining the manifestation of hate speech during the 2023 general elections in Nigeria. Utilizing the content analysis, the study evaluates the manifestation of hate speech within the periods of six months (prior to election, during the election and after the election). The data was collected using the coding sheet and stratified sampling by days of the week was adopted. A sample size of five hundred and thirty-six (536) news on hate speech was analyzed in the two newspapers. Based on the findings, it was discovered that the two newspapers under study reported a high level of hate speech cases published prior to the election than during or post election time with 71.2%. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the media should strive to raise awareness about the consequences of hate speech during elections in Nigeria.