Farmer-Herdsmen Conflict and the Economy

Do Newspaper reportage of herdsmen-farmers conflicts neglect the economic impact?

  • Ijeoma Pauline Ogbonne University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Keywords: herdsmen, economic development, newspapers and media, farmers, herdsmen-farmers conflict

Abstract

This study examined newspaper reportage of the herdsmen-farmers conflict in Nigeria and how such reports reflect the impact of the conflict on economic development. Three research questions guided the study. Content analysis was used for the study while a total of four newspapers namely the Guardian, Vanguard, ThisDay and Punch newspapers were sampled for the study. The study covered three years. The result of this study showed that most of the stories about herdsmen-farmers conflict paid less attention to the economic impact of the conflict. It was also found that that most of the newspapers studied did not give adequate prominence and volume to the economic impact of the conflict. These results were discussed with particular attention to the theoretical relevance, conflict reporting and economic development in Nigeria. Based on the result of the study, the researcher recommends, among others, that newspapers should improve on their frequency, prominence and volume of stories focusing on the economic impact of conflict in general and herdsmen-farmers conflict in particular.

Author Biography

Ijeoma Pauline Ogbonne, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Institute of African Studies

Published
2020-02-19
How to Cite
Ogbonne, I. P. (2020). Farmer-Herdsmen Conflict and the Economy: Do Newspaper reportage of herdsmen-farmers conflicts neglect the economic impact?. University of Nigeria Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies , 23(2). Retrieved from https://journal.ijcunn.com/index.php/IJC/article/view/29
Section
Articles