Nigerian Newspaper Coverage of Militancy in the Niger Delta

Abstract

The study analyzed Nigerian newspaper coverage of militancy in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Content analysis was used to generate data for the study. Four purposively selected Nigerian national dailies: THISDAY, The Guardian, Vanguard, and The Sun published between January 1, 2006 and October 4, 2009 were content analyzed. The population was 5,532 issues from where a sample of 553 was systematically selected. The units of analysis for the study include straight news, feature article, editorial opinion, interview, and letter to the editor that made reference to militancy in the Niger Delta. Coding was by two independent coders based on frequency, prominence, portrayal of militancy, format of presentation, and language of reports. The results showed that Nigerian Newspapers covered militancy in the Niger Delta in a fair, balanced and responsible manner, even though there were a few instances when confrontational languages slipped into reports. It also found that the dailies accorded low prominence to reports on militancy in the Niger Delta and did not endorse militancy as the preferred option for resolving the conflict in the region. Rather, they advocated a peaceful resolution of the conflict as is evident in the high score (77.88%) of the use of conciliatory tone in their reports. On the downside, the preponderance of straight news indicated that not much of conflict analysis and interpretative reporting was done in the coverage to help readers grasp thoroughly the dominant issues involved in militancy. The conclusion is that by presenting a balanced coverage, the dailies have helped in setting the right agenda and mediating in the conflict. This may have contributed in some degree to the management of the problem of militancy in this region. Accordingly, it is recommended, among others, that reporters and editors should include more of feature articles, editorials, and interviews with conflict experts, victims, and local residents in their coverage. This will help create proper understanding of the issues at stake in order to facilitate early conflict resolution.