News framing and conflict management by the Nigerian press: a discourse analysis of farmers/herdsmen clashes
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Babcock Journal of Mass Communication
Abstract
Since Nigeria's independence in 1960, Nigerian media have served as a conduit
for stimulating a myriad of social tensions. However, with the advent of
democracy in 1999, these trends continue and metamorphose into religious and
ethno-political upheavals which have been a challenge to leadership.
Incidentally, in recent years, the persistent clashes between farmers and
herdsmen dawdled. In this regard, exploring the patterns of news framing on this
social tension is necessary for an effective conflict management strategy in
news headlines from the Daily Trust, Nigerian Tribune, and the Sun newspapers
to determine these patterns. Specifically, this paper, explores the relationships
between use of language and socio-political contexts in which it occurs to
interpret issues such as gender, ethnicity, cultural differences, ideology, identity
and how these are both constructed and reflected in the texts. Hence, the
analysis revealed that patterns of positive and negative stereotypes and
favoritism characterized the news coverage during the periods 2015-2017 under
review. It was further discovered that newspapers superficially embraced
discussions and portrayals tantamount to show support for their regional
affiliations on issues of national interest. By implication, this study will be of
great influence to media establishments, and policy makers in peace building
and policy making to effectively design new strategies of conflict management.
Consequently, future studies should propose a model and enduring policy frame
work on conflict management in Nigeria.
Description
DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Keywords
News framing, conflict management
Citation
Sadiq, M., Dalib, S. & Adisa, R. M. (2018). News framing and conflict management by the Nigerian press: a discourse analysis of farmers/herdsmen clashes. Babcock Journal of Mass Communication. 3(1), 35-45.