Abstract
The farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria, that are of particular concern in the north-central region of the country, have in recent years received increased attention from the media. This chapter examines coverage of the farmer-herder conflict in Idoma Voice, a local newspaper in Benue State, Nigeria. The analysis demonstrates that Idoma Voice emphasised the violent aspects of the conflict and its associated consequences, failing to consider broader issues and its underlying causes. It also shows a paucity of personal or human-interest stories and an absence of ethnoreligious frames in coverage of the conflict by Idoma Voice. In conclusion, the chapter argues that local journalists, familiar with issues within their own conflict-affected communities, might not resort to simplistic and polarising ethnoreligious frames as is often found in the national or international coverage of the same issues.
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Uwazuruike, C. (2020). “Bloodbath, Invasion, Massacre”: Idoma Voice and the Framing of the Farmer-Herder Conflict in Benue State, Nigeria. In: Matthews, J., Thorsen, E. (eds) Media, Journalism and Disaster Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33712-4_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33712-4_9
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