INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Newspapers are known for the provision of up-to-date information meant for the reading pleasure of the vast majority of readers of all ages and walks of life. As an important print medium of mass communication, newspapers provide the most current analysis, debate and criticisms of socio- political, economic, health and a host of other issues as information, education and entertainment to the readers. The newspaper is no doubt, one of the most widely-read periodicals available and accessible to all, on daily basis, in print and electronic versions. As a mass medium, newspapers are useful for education, information, recreation, relaxation and entertainment. This explains why Ola and Ojo (2007) opine that newspapers are important because they carry current information and they keep the readers informed of events and happenings within and outside their immediate environments. A newspaper is important in that it serves as a corner of current information or news. The newspaper, according to Ate, and Ikerodah, (2012) is a periodic publication that can be daily, biweekly, weekly, fortnightly, etc and it is not normally bound. Newspapers are different from book and magazines because you only fold them. The newspaper is a periodic publication that reflects the events happening in the society. It is described as folded sheet of paper that is produced periodically. The Nigerian Newspaper Act (NNA) defines newspaper as any paper containing public news, intelligence or the occurrence of any remarks, observation or comment, printed for sale and published in Nigeria periodically (Asemah, 2009 and Ikechukwu, (2015).
Newspapers serves various purposes for different categories of users, Ogbiten, (2007) described five ways of what newspaper reading means to different people; respite or recreation ( using it to unwind from stress or tension reliever), public affairs ( using it to develop public opinions), for information ( using it for pleasure or to find about pleasurable activities), and for socialization ( using it to feel joined to others beyond the family block in a broader society). It can also be seen as the textbooks that provide up to date information on local, state, national and world affairs, the most current analysis and criticism on executive and legislative decisions, the latest in music, theatre, fine art and columns on comics that makes the reader laugh. Obaid,(2013), opined that newspapers are the most accessible written documents to the largest proportion of people of all categories, young and old, literate and illiterate, traders and workers, elite and peasants. Due to the way people or readers gather to discuss newspaper contents, it inevitably promotes critical thinking, retention of information, problem solving and the querying of the information source.
Reading is the springboard of any literacy program. It is one of the oldest habits of human civilization. Reading has been the passion of the greatest personalities of all times. African society has been labeled with phrases such as; an oral society or one that lacks a reading culture (Mulinda, 2001). While presenting a paper on reading habits promotion in the Association of South- East Asian Nations (ASEAN) libraries, noted that; Africans are not a reading society but a chatting society. He explained that traditional educators were great narrators of stories which they said out loud and accompanied with dramatization and demonstrations. Babbie, (2013), states that reading literally refers to the ability to recognize and understand characters which may be printed, or written on a paper. Reading, therefore, is the ability to obtain meaning from word s that is written on a paper. Agba, (2002) affirms that through reading, humans have the tools to transmit knowledge to each succeeding generation. It has been pointed that most people in sub-Saharan Africa have little access to books and other learning resources and without proper access, it is hard to establish a reading culture. (Makenzi (2004), Reading makes way for a better understanding of one’s own experiences and it can be an exciting voyage to self- discovery.
