Pictorial Framing of Farmer-Herder Conflict in Nigeria by Daily Trust, Nigerian Tribune and the Sun Newspapers

Abstract

This study examined pictorial framing of farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria by Daily Trust, Tribune and the Sun newspapers for the period of six months June 2018 to December 2018. The objectives of the study are to identify issues of farmers-herders conflict portrayed in Daily Trust, the Sun and Tribune newspapers. Identify types of pictures the newspapers used in framing farmers-herders conflict in Nigeria. Examine tone of the pictures used by Daily Trust, the Sun and Tribune in framing the farmers- herders’ conflict in Nigeria. The study is situated within the arguments of framing and conflict theories which served as theoretical framework. The study adopted content analysis research design to fill the knowledge gap on how newspapers use pictures in framing the farmers-herders conflict in Nigeria during the period of study. Findings from the study indicated that Daily Trust, Tribune and the Sun used accompanied pictures with positive tone in the coverage of the farmers- herders’ conflict pictorially throughout the period selected for the research. The study concluded that, even though diverse media organizations paid attention to the coverage of the conflict pictorially, Daily Trust, Tribune and The Sun were able to show the different sides to the conflict (Resolved/ Rescued efforts, Mild, Grievous and Farmers Attack) but predominantly focused on village attack, herders with weapons and the physically traumatised angle to the story thereby showcasing more of a situation with devastating impact that is yet to be resolved. The study concluded that, in spite of the mild reports and footages about the issue, Daily Trust, Tribune and The Sun newspapers pictorially framed the conflict as and physically traumatizing, impacts community negatively thus downplaying the mild or commodification perspective of the situation in pictures. The study recommends that similar study should be conducted using the same newspapers but different period of study in order to ascertain if there is a paradigmatic shift in relation to issues of farmers and herders’ conflict pictorially framed by Daily Trust, Tribune and The Sun newspapers. There is need for Daily Trust, Tribune and the Sun to adopt the use of both accompanied and unaccompanied pictures in their pictorial reportage of the farmers and herders’ conflict. Further research should be conducted on the tone of pictures used by Daily Trust, Tribune and the Sun newspapers. This largely because, it is extremely unusual to see all the pictures have positive tone.