This study examines the frequency and prominence of newspaper coverage of the protracted farmers-herders conflict in North-Central Nigeria, comparing two major national dailies - The Nation and Daily Trust, from January to December 2018. Drawing on content analysis of reported stories (n=234) and guided by Gatekeeping, Social Identity, and Resource-Based Conflict theories, the research investigates how often and how prominently each newspaper reported the conflict, and whether their reportage tended to escalate or de-escalate tensions. A mixed-method approach was adopted: quantitatively, the number of relevant news articles and their placement (headlines and editorials) were tallied; qualitatively, a sample of articles was analysed for tone and context. The findings reveal that The Nation published more stories (131) than Daily Trust (103) on the conflict, and gave the issue greater prominence (front-page and headlines). Both newspapers focused mainly on straight news reporting with very few editorials or opinion pieces, and notably refrained from using inflammatory images or language. This neutral reporting stance meant that their coverage did not overtly escalate the conflict. However, neither paper actively advocated conflict resolution interventions, as evidenced by the lack of editorials or in-depth analyses offering solutions. The study concludes that while Nigerian print media fulfilled their basic informational role during the period, they fell short of leveraging their platform for conflict resolution. It recommends that newspapers balance objective reportage with deeper analysis and that experienced journalists be assigned to conflict beats. In summary, the media coverage, though unable to resolve the crisis, set the tone for a national discourse on the farmers-herders conflict, highlighted the need for more proactive media engagement in peace building and instigated the government to act accordingly.
Vol. 3, No 2, pp. 151-159.