STRATEGIC ADOPTION OF CHILD-FRIENDLY NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION AMONG NEWSPAPER FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA
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Nigeria's changing media environment, declining print newspaper readership, increasing digital use, and children's need for reliable information create a need for newspaper firms to explore new products and markets. Child-friendly newspapers may provide age-appropriate news while creating a new market for print media. This study examined the strategic adoption of child-friendly newspaper publication among newspaper firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. A descriptive research design was adopted, with 62 personnel from BusinessDay, ThisDay, The Tide, and Vintage surveyed using a questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square, and Pearson correlation. Results showed significant differences in awareness between senior and junior personnel (U = 126.500, Z = -2.569, p = 0.010), with junior personnel recording a higher mean rank. Perception did not differ significantly across educational levels (F = 0.253, p = 0.777). Challenges were generally recognised, while respondent distribution across firms and sectors differed significantly (χ² = 51.94, df = 3, p < 0.001). Proposed solutions received general support, but length of service had no significant relationship with respondents' views (r = 0.029, p = 0.822). The study concludes that child-friendly newspapers offer an information resource for children and a potential market diversification strategy for newspaper firms.
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