Effects Of Graphics On Audience Patronage Of Punch Newspaper Among Residents Of Port Harcourt Metropolis

The study examines the influence of graphics in the newspaper publication with focus on the Punch newspaper. Graphics, be it headline, chart, callouts, shapes, graphs, photograph, images, color, cut-lines, line, text, plays prominent roles in newspaper and print media generally, such that it influence readers to purchase a particular newspaper. Graphics communicates messages even to the illiterates; it also draws the attention of readers to the most prominent news and issues, especially when placed on the front page of a newspaper, while it’s also used to set agenda on what public will debate upon. 

In fact, the headline scanners and graphics scanner always find it easy to know the most important news of the day.  Without much emphasis, graphic communicate message than what a thousand words could tell. For the purpose of this paper, the researcher employed the use of survey method. The data collection instrument used is questionnaire in eliciting data from the respondents.  Findings show that respondents easily remember news that is accompanied with graphics and graphics enticed and persuaded readers to read or buy newspapers because it beautify and add aesthetic values to the newspaper pages. It is also recommended that print media should always use only important graphics that can tell their stories with ambiguity.