When ordinary citizens “shame the government” in the news: Nigerian journalists’ exemplification practices while covering poverty

Abstract

Exemplars are important news sources for journalists around the world. However, little is known about journalistic practices around exemplification, particularly in relation to critical social issues like poverty. Through in-depth interviews with twelve Nigerian journalists, this study explores exemplification as a journalistic practice and contributes a non-Western perspective to exemplification theorization. Our findings indicate Nigerian journalists use exemplars to enact moral solidarity and speak truth to power. However, journalists’ descriptions of times they used exemplars surfaced ways in which exemplification could negatively impact marginalized groups. Future research should proactively explore journalists’ exemplification practices, particularly the complications that arise when the experiences of ordinary citizens are used to enliven the news.