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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">BJAR</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>British Journal of Advanced Research</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title>BJAR</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
            <issn pub-type="epub">3153-709X</issn>
            <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Ivory and Finch Publishers</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.68263/BJAR-DTBA6W48</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">BJAR_SEP_26_001</article-id>

      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Original Research Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>

      <title-group>
        <article-title>Eye Health, Observation Power and Resourceful Journalism: Opinions and Perceptions by Desk Editors in Akwa Ibom</article-title>
      </title-group>

      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
                        <surname>Azubuike</surname>
            <given-names>OKEH</given-names>
          </name>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9201-155x</contrib-id>
                    <aff>Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria</aff>
          <email>azubuike.okeh@iaue.edu.ng</email>
        </contrib>
                                          <contrib contrib-type="author">
              <name>
                                <surname>George Ogazi Mani (PhD)</surname>
                <given-names>EZE,</given-names>
              </name>
                            <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/https:// orcid.org/0009-0008-6765-6123</contrib-id>
                                          <aff>Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.</aff>
                          </contrib>
                                              <contrib contrib-type="author">
              <name>
                                <surname>Prince Ikeokwu Nwaokugha (PhD)</surname>
                <given-names>ONYESO,</given-names>
              </name>
                            <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/https:// orcid.org/0009-0003-90194-2630</contrib-id>
                                          <aff>Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Humanities, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.</aff>
                          </contrib>
                                    </contrib-group>

            <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>10</day>
        <month>09</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>1</volume>
      <issue>3</issue>
      
      
            <self-uri xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.68263/BJAR-DTBA6W48"/>
      
      <abstract>
        <p>The place of effective observation power and visual acuity in ensuring effective news sourcing, gathering, writing and editing cannot be overemphasized. Reporters, proofreaders, editors and other newsroom workers are daily glued to digital screens to produce news content that serves the information needs of their audience. They greatly depend on the strength of their sight and observation power to carry out their duties. These tasks have become more intense now that most newsrooms and workspaces are largely digitised. This study, anchored on the Wellness Theory as propounded by D. Dixon et al, broadly examined how eye health can influence effective delivery of newsroom tasks in the face of constant use of digital screens, and how newsroom workers can maintain good eye health to ensure productivity. Using a qualitative survey approach, the study adopted the snowball sampling technique to gather 12 Akwa Ibom-based journalists with no fewer than 30 years of experience as participants. Also, five medical experts selected using Expert Sampling were used to further gather data through Focus Group Discussion and Interviews. To analyse data, Miles and Huberman&#039;s template was used to ensure effective data reduction, display and conclusion. The study concludes that journalists with good vision are capable of carrying out effective observation, reporting more accurately and undertaking editorial gatekeeping in a more efficient manner. The study recommends increased eye health advocacy, periodic eye diagnosis, procurement of protective glasses, and provision of insurance cover for practicing journalists and editors.</p>
      </abstract>

            <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author-keywords">
                <kwd>Eye Health</kwd>
                <kwd>Observation Power</kwd>
                <kwd>Resourceful Journalism</kwd>
                <kwd>Opinions</kwd>
                <kwd>Desk Editors</kwd>
              </kwd-group>
      
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>02</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
                <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>05</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
              </history>

      <permissions>
        <copyright-statement>Copyright &copy; 2026 by the authors</copyright-statement>
        <license license-type="open-access">
          <license-p>This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>

    </article-meta>
  </front>

    <back>
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