Media Coverage of Farmers-Herdsmen Conflict in Nigeria: A Comparison of Mainstream and Digital Platforms

Abstract

Background: The disturbing escalation of farmers-herdsmen conflicts in Nigeria necessitates an understanding of whether mainstream and new media are effectively setting the agenda to inform the public. While traditional media have historically dominated the news cycle, online newspapers and blogs have emerged as critical factors in the flow of information, often competing with broadcast journalism in providing timely updates.

Objective: This study examined how online newspapers, television stations, and blogs report on the herdsmen-farmers conflict in Nigeria. The primary objective was to determine the frequency, prominence, duration, and tone of coverage devoted to the conflict across these selected media platforms.

Methodology: The research was underpinned by Agenda Setting Theory and employed content analysis. The sample consisted of 401 stories published between 10 November 2017 and 10 November 2018 from Daily Trust and The Punch online newspapers, NTA and Channels TV, and the blogs Naij.com and Nairaland. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at a 0.05 level of statistical significance .

Results: The findings established that online newspapers recorded the highest coverage frequency (50.5%) and featured longer stories than both television and blogs. While most media outlets treated the conflict as very important, the government-owned NTA rated it as less important. Additionally, results showed that television stations predominantly used a positive tone, whereas online newspapers and blogs used a largely negative tone in reporting the conflict.

Conclusion: The study concludes that coverage of the farmers-herdsmen conflict differs significantly across media genres, with online newspapers generally performing better in frequency and depth of coverage. The findings underscore that ownership plays a significant role in determining conflict reporting, suggesting that government-owned media may use a positive tone to suppress the actual severity of occurrences.