VEJOH - VERITAS JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES

The paper investigates how media narratives shape the understanding of conflicts between farmers and herders in Nigeria. It aims to analyze the portrayal of these clashes and the involved social actors through the lens of selected Nigerian newspapers. The objectives include examining the representation of farmer-herder conflicts in mainstream media and evaluating the thematic concerns in media discourses surrounding this issue and their implications for news consumers. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study compiled data from both primary and secondary sources, focusing on two prominent newspaper outlets: Vanguard and Leadership. A careful selection of twenty headlines, with ten from each publication, was analyzed purposively to ensure relevance to the research objectives. The framework for analysis was grounded in Marquis' (2015) Media Priming Theory, which facilitated the exploration of various priming types, including semantic, associative, contextual, and repetitive priming. The findings indicate that farmer-herder clashes have been ongoing and highly destructive, leading to significant consequences. These include substantial human and economic tolls, the rise of ethnic and religious militias, heightened inter-ethnic tensions, and detrimental impacts on Nigeria’s agricultural productivity. Furthermore, the study indicates that media portrayals are often ideologically slanted, leading to biased representations of the conflicts. Specifically, herders are frequently depicted as violent and destructive, without adequate contextual understanding of their perspectives or circumstances. In conclusion, the study advocates for a more factual representation of conflicts in the media, urging journalists and news outlets to prioritise objectivity over ideological biases. It encourages readers to critically assess media narratives to avoid misconceptions and foster a more nuanced understanding of Nigeria's farmer-herder crisis.

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