Abstract

Thisqualitative researchutilised textual analyses for the current fight against violent Islamist extremism in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. Although Security Early Warning, as a preventive conflict strategy, can assist toward conflict prevention, it lacks the means to prevent violent extremism rapidly in Africa. The paper contends that Human Rights Journalism approach, the adopted theoretical framework for this research, is better equipped to unravel deep-seated causes of violent extremisms and even global Jihad bypromptly alerting relevant government agencies. Findings in this paper pointed to the large cohort of jobless young people in both the Sahel and Horn of Africa who are willing tools waiting to be engaged by extremist elements; the ‘CNN Factor’ has clearly shown that the African media system needs to build its capacities and resilience for reporting its own problems if it is to avoid the kind of episodes of genocide such as in Rwanda (1994) and mass killings in Sierra Leon (1991-2002). The article further posited that media reporting approaches like mainstream media, war reporting and peace journalism fall short of the preventive ability which Human Rights Journalism possesses.

Key Words: Media, Violent Extremism, Prevention, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 14, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 70-79

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

About the authors

*    Andrew Danjuma Dewan, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Plateau State University, Bokkos, Plateau State, Nigeria and the Director, Advancement, Linkages and Strategic Partnerships of the University. His research focus includes media, religion, ethnicity and conflict; Human Rights Journalism; and critical discourse analysis (CDA).

**  Ladi Sandra Adamu, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Her research interest is in broadcasting, with focus on media and conflict.

Article Citation

Dewan, A.D. & Adamu, L.S. (2022). Evaluating media use in the fight against Boko Haram and Al Shabaab in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 14 (1): 70 – 79.

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