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© Kamla-Raj 2004 Stud. Tribes Tribals, 2(2): 97-104 (2004)
The Yoruba and Their Language Newspapers: Origin, Nature, Problems and Prospects
Abiodun Salawu
Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria E-mail: salawuabiodun@yahoo.com
Keywords Language; newspaper; education; communication
Abstract The paper examines the Yourba people, their history, their language and the geography of their location, Essentially, too, the paper attempts a study of the newspapers published in the language of the Yoruba. In specific terms, it considers the origin, the nature, the operations, the impact, the problems and the prospects of the newspapers. Iwe Irohin Fun Awon Ara Egba ati Yoruba was the first Yoruba newspaper. It existed for eight years between December 3, 1959 and October 13, 1867. Among the Yoruba newspapers existing now, Irohin Yoruba, said to be a re-incarnation of Iwe Irohin, is the oldest. It was founded in 1945 by the Allied Newspapers of Nigeria Limited. As at present, it is under the management of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc. Other existing Yoruba newspapers include Alaroye, Akede Agbaye, Alaye and Ajoro. Yoruba newspapers are mostly weeklies. They are very generous in the choice of point size of their story headlines, most especially, when they come either on the front or back pages. The newspapers are packaged like tabloid newspaper-magazine. Their headlines are, usually, dramatic in tone. A major problem confronting Yoruba newspapers in the non-challant attitude of the educated Yoruba elites. This has robbed Yoruba newspapers of the kind of patronage, recognition and respect enjoyed by newspapers published in English Language.
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