Press Coverage of the Boko Haram Insurgency and Its Implications for Conflict-Sensitive Journalism in Nigeria (2013/2014)
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PRESS COVERAGE OF THE BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CONFLICT-SENSITIVE JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA (2013/2014) BY Abubakar SHEHU B. Sc Mass Communication (Bayero University Kano) 2009 MSC/SOC-SCI/41546/2012-2013 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF A MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MASS COMMUNICATION. DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA JULY, 2015 i DECLARATION I declare that the work in this Dissertation titled PRESS COVERAGE OF THE BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CONFLICT-SENSITIVE JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA was carried out by me in the Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. That the information derived from literature has been duly acknowledged in the text and in the list of reference. No any part of this dissertation was previously presented for another degree in this or any other Institution. ABUBAKAR SHEHU …………………….. ……………………. Signature Date ii CERTIFICATION This Dissertation titled PRESS COVERAGE OF THE BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CONFLICT-SENSITIVE JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA by SHEHU ABUBAKAR meets the requirements, regulations and a standard governing the award of the degree of Master of Science (M. Sc) in Mass Communication of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and it is approved for its contribution to knowledge and literary presentation. …………………………………….. …………………………. Yakubu Ozohu-Suleiman (Ph.D.) Date Chairman, Supervisory Committee ………………………………………… ………………………….. Muhammed Haruna Date Member, Supervisory Committee ……………………………………….. ………………………….. Mahmud .M. Umar (Ph.D.) Date Head, Department of Mass Communication ………………………………………… ………………………….. Professor Kabiru Bala Date Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work could have been leprous if not because of the input of that Mass Communication Scholar (Dr.Yakubu Ozohu-Suleiman) whose constructive criticisms, suggestions and mentorship have been of help to the researcher making him research-inclined among his peers, I say thank You and pray for Allah’s blessing in all your endeavours. I say a big thank you also to Malam Muhammed Haruna on his tremendous help to the success of the work. To my Head of Department, Dr. Mahmud Umar, I say you’ve been a good associate whose interest is to push colleagues to the attainment of academic prowess. I thank all the lecturers in the department for their positive contributions to the improvement of the work. I say a big thank you in particular to the assistant PG coordinator (Malam Shamsu) who despite his tight schedules would spend his precious time on my work. To the various scholars whose works gave life to the study, to the journalists who gave us their time for the interview, I say thank you. To all my mates whose advice helped the smooth running of the dissertation, so also my uncles, brothers, sisters and friends in Saminaka. To my wife that persevered all the odds resulting from the hardship in the course of undergoing this research. I say being with you has been a blessing, to the people of the house, Abida (Fadimatu) Abubakar Shehu and Jidda (Hauwa’u) Abubakar Shehu, I say thank you for making daddy happy. To the possessors of that position whose appointment was predestined to be blessing to their son, Alhaji Shehu Abdulmumin and Hajiya Hasana Abbas. I say your effort of making me a significant personality among peers makes Jannatul- Firdausi be a quid pro quo to it, I found no word in the dictionaries that can qualify your help, encouragement, love and all the good things you did to my life. I always cry when thinking of what to do to pay you back… iv DEDICATION To Almighty Allah for His blessing and grace upon my life and knowledge and To the spirit of my grandfather, late sheik Abdulmumin Nadamau Saminaka whose scholarship has been an icon to the grandchildren in pursuing their academic endeavours, to my brothers: Muhammad Shehu and Ahmad Shehu, also to my sisters: Rahmatu, Sakina, Binta and Ruqayya Shehu. v ABSTRACT This study analyses the coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency by DailyTrust, Leadership, Vanguard and Punch newspapers and examines its implications for conflict- sensitive journalism in Nigeria. The objectives are to determine the consistency of the newspapers’ coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency with conflict-sensitive journalism and the framing of identity and motive of Boko Haram. The study also examines the treatment recommendations offered by the newspapers and the areas of salient emphasis. The study combines content analysis and in-depth interview methods to obtain relevant data. Framing theory was adopted. Findings reveal that Nigerian journalists are not fully adopting conflict-sensitive journalism in their reportage. It also shows that the identity of Boko Haram is Islamist sect with the motive of establishing an Islamic state. It indicates that the major solution is fighting the insurgents and the perceived risk is the collapse of the economy. The study concludes that the coverage of Boko Haram by the Nigerian newspapers is sensational, war-inclined and falls short of the solution-driven approaches encouraged in conflict-sensitive journalism. The study recommends that Nigerian journalists should increase their knowledge of the conflict-sensitive journalism so that they can make important contributions in finding solutions to the problem of Boko Haram insurgency. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PRELIMINARY PAGES Title page.............................................................................................................................i Declaration ……………………………………………………………………………….ii Certification ………………………………………………………………………….......iii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………iv Dedication………………………………………………………………………………...v Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………...vi CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................... 1 Background to the Study ................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Statement of the Research Problem ........................................................................... 4 1.3 Aim and Objectives ................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Research Questions ................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................... 8 1.6 Scope of the Study................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................ 11 LITERATURE REVIEW/THEORETICAL FRAME WORK ....................................... 11 2.1 Conceptualization of Insurgency and Terrorism ....................................................... 11 2.2 American Definition of Terrorism ........................................................................... 14 2.3 European Definition of Terrorism ............................................................................ 15 2.4 Asian and African Definitions of Terrorism ............................................................. 16 2.5 Academic Definition of Terrorism ........................................................................... 18 2.6 Comparison of the Definitions ................................................................................. 21 2.7 Conflict-Sensitive Journalism and its Perspectives................................................... 23 2.8 Methodological Issues in Studying Conflict Sensitive-Journalism ........................... 30 2.9 Media and National Security ................................................................................... 33 2.10 Boko Haram and the Maitatsine Similarities and Implications in Nigeria ............... 35 vii 2.11 Causes of Boko Haram in Nigeria.......................................................................... 39 2.11.1 Poverty ............................................................................................................... 39 2.11.2 Corruption among Security officers .................................................................... 40 2.11.3 Glorification of Insurgents’ Activities by the Media ........................................... 40 2.12 Insurgents News Framing and its Sources .............................................................. 43 2.13 Boko Haram Coverage, Media Ownership and Location ........................................ 46 2.14 Symbiotic Relationship between the Press and the Insurgents ................................ 50 2.15 Insurgency and the Northern Perception of Westernization .................................. 52 2.16 Insurgents and the Motive of Attention Seeking ................................................. 54 2.17 Studies on Press Coverage of Insurgency ............................................................... 55 2.18 Press Coverage and its Salient Angles of Events .................................................... 58 2.19 Shaping Role of Agenda Setting and Priming Theories .......................................... 59 2.20 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................