Media Framing of Farmers and Herders’ Conflict in The Punch and Nigerian Tribune Newspapers between January 2019 and June 2019
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Date
2022-12
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Lead City University
Abstract
The Nigerian state has been faced with numerous internal challenges ranging from banditry attacks, kidnapping, and terrorism to farmers-herdsmen conflicts. Conflicts between farmers and herdsmen have become a recurrent decimal claiming lives of humans and cattle, also leading to huge economic losses and food crises as a result of displacement of farmers. These conflicts have generally attracted media attention because of the worrisome dimension it is approaching Using the content analysis method, this study examined the stories of farmers – herdsmen in two Nigerian newspapers (The Punch and The Nigerian Tribune).The attention of the media drawn by the conflicts has warranted dynamics of framing by Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers. The instrument used for data collection is the coding sheet named as ‘’farmer’s and herders’ conflicts reportage content analysis checklist’’. The results were analysed using descriptive and textual analysis techniques. Findings showed that Punch newspaper reported 37 (20.4%), farmers - herders conflicts between January - June 2019, the reports cut across regions ranging from attacks 14 (37.8%), losses 10 (27.0%), injuries and death 13 (35.1%). findings also showed that Nigerian Tribune reported 44 (24.3%), farmers - herders conflicts between the period under review, the reports also cut across regions of the country ranging from attacks 17 (38.6%) losses 7 (15.9%) injuries and death 20 (45.4%). The Nigerian Tribune captured more of hard news 29 (47.3%), features 9 60,cartoons 4 (66.7%) and less of editorial 2 (40%).The Punch reports mostly hard news 26 (47.3%) features 6 4.0 editorials 3 (60%), and 2 (33.3%) of cartoons. Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers are adjudged fair, balanced and accurate in their reports. The study therefore recommends that as the watchdog of the society, journalists should constantly cover and report cases of farmers-herdsmen conflicts so as to inform and educate the society on the dangers that are associated with unresolved clash of occupational interests and as a matter of Agenda-Setting,they should always give prominence to issues of farmers-herdsmen conflicts.
Word count: 299
Keyword: Editorial, Farmers, Herdsmen, Hard news, Investigation.
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Kate Turabian