Abstract

Terrorism of Boko Haram, a religious sect in Nigeria has resulted in cataclysmic destruction of lives and properties in the country. The phenomenon has put the nation into a state of insecurity and public unrest. There have been scholarly works on media agenda-setting in conflict and violence but the role the media in Nigeria play in Boko Haram terrorism is still inadequate in available literature. Thus, this study was carried out to ascertain the reportage of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria. The newspapers selected for the study included Nigerian Tribune, Punch, Vanguard and Daily Trust. Content analysis was employed as the principal research tool, while textual analysis method of critical studies was used to analyze the manifest contents of the newspapers with a view to determining the extent of social responsibility displayed by the newspapers in reporting the menace. The study revealed that the selected newspapers carried more Boko Haram condemnation terrorism stories than Boko Haram promotion stories and eradication stories. However, the newspapers published scenarios that gave the activities of the terrorists an implicit and unconscious promotion. When examined from the perspective of the influence the mass media have on the attitude and perception of their audience, the undue emphasis on the somewhat perceived dreadfulness of the group by the newspapers certainly provided an attitudinal and behavioral structure within which the group could have been given undue recognition.

Key Words: Terrorism, Boko Haram, Nigerian Newspapers, Press

                      Reportage, Social Responsibility.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 6, No. 1, April 2014, 25 – 44 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the author

*Muyiwa Popoola is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Communication and Media Studies, Ajayi   Crowther University, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria.

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