Media Framing of Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Nigeria: A Content Analysis of National Newspapers

This study analyses media framing of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria through systematic content analysis of selected national newspaper coverage from four major broadsheets published between 2021 and 2024. Media framing shapes public perceptions, influences policy responses, and can either escalate or de-escalate social tensions, making it a critical variable in the conflict dynamics of Nigeria's recurring farmer-herder crises spanning the North Central, South East, and South West geopolitical zones. Using quantitative content analysis, the study coded 360 news items from four newspapers for frame type, conflict party attribution, geographic focus, solution orientation, and source diversity. The theoretical framework draws from framing theory, agenda-setting theory, and the peace journalism model. Findings indicate that episodic and conflict-escalating frames dominate farmer-herder coverage in Nigerian newspapers, with thematic, solution-oriented framing representing less than 20 percent of coded items. Ethnic attribution framing is prevalent, often assigning collective blame to either Fulani herders or farming communities without contextualising structural drivers. The South East and North Central zones receive disproportionately higher coverage intensity. The study recommends integrating peace journalism training into Nigerian journalism education curricula, developing editorial guidelines on conflict-sensitive framing for media organisations, and creating media watchdog initiatives focused on farmer-herder conflict reporting. Keywords: media framing, farmer-herder conflict, content analysis, Nigeria, peace journalism.