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Purpose There are assumptions in gender-related media research that increased female status would be accompanied by more and better representation of women. There are also expectations that an increase in the number of women working in the news media will increase the positive representation of women. The aim of this paper is to critique the representation of women leaders and managers in the Nigerian press to assess the extent to which these factors have influenced the representation of women in the West African country. Design/methodology/approach Using two methods, qualitative content analysis and interview, this chapter critiques the representation of women leaders and managers in Nigerian Guardian Life and Vanguard Allure (over a period of six months – the last half of 2014) to determine the way women in leadership and management are constructed by checking for frames on stereotypes, gender roles and trivialisation themes. The editors of the two publications are then interviewed to consider the philosophies behind the coverage patterns and assess their knowledge and awareness of the implications of the coverage patterns on the status of women in the sub-Saharan African country. Findings It was discovered that the Nigerian press are focusing on re-enforcing traditional gender roles and norms rather than challenging them, and women in leadership and management in the country do not apply sufficient agency in challenging the status quo. Research limitations/implications Even though information derived from this study cannot be said to represent the realities in all of Africa, it surely provides a good context within which issues about media representation of women in leadership and management in Africa can be better understood to assess how the cultures on the continent’s various countries affect the realities of the lives of women. Originality/value The bulk of feminist research is situated in the North. Not much feminist research is being done in the South, and there appears to be an inadequate engagement with the available few in the literature. This chapter bridges the gap by presenting much needed information about gender, media and organisation in Nigeria; a highly populous multi-ethnic and multi-cultural sub-Saharan African country. Even though information derived from this study cannot be said to represent the realities in all of Africa, it will surely provide a good context within which issues about media, gender and organisation in Africa can be better appreciated.

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Freebies, gifts, and giveaways are nonmonetary or noncash presents given to journalists usually by the public relations (PR) personnel of organizations, corporations, brands, and/or celebrities. The PR departments claim it is part of their PR toolkit for good media relations but media ethicists and regulators recognize the challenges that freebies pose to journalists' neutrality and integrity. This entry discusses the various types of freebies, the attitude of journalists to them, the caution sounded by industry regulators regarding freebies, and the need to maintain the credibility and integrity of the journalism profession.

Although the Nigerian government appears committed to improving maternal and child healthcare (MCH), studies consistently show high maternal and child mortality in the country. Studies have also shown that a lack of awareness about symptoms and their severity prevents women from seeking medical attention until complications arise. The media can help address these issues by enlightening and empowering the public with relevant information. Unfortunately, even when published, critical information (about MCH) are usually buried in statistics and within ‘authority interviews’ which may not attract the attention of the target audience or provide them with the relevant information they need to protect the lives of women and children during pregnancy and childbirth. This study presents results from a content analysis of MCH-related contents in four national newspapers for a 12-month period and also interviews with ten health editors about the coverage of MCH-related issues in the Nigerian press. Major findings are that health journalists use statistics and stakeholder interviews mainly in producing health contents in the press because cultural ideologies around secrecy/silence about MCH experiences, the fatalistic acceptance of unfavourable outcomes as destiny, as well as patriarchy, have consistently discouraged women (and men) from sharing their MCH experiences in the media. The study recommends that the media should avoid the sensationalisation of MCH experiences to encourage more people to share their stories. This is because including the positive and challenging experiences of individuals in MCH-related contents in the media provides the human-interest angle that can increase readership of health contents, thus empowering citizens with the information they need to get adequate care and also seek redress when such care is denied.