Reporting the Herders-Farmers Conflict: Representations and Perceptions of Non-State Actors in Online Nigerian News Media.

Abstract

The Herders and Farmers conflict, a recurring issue in various countries in West Africa, presents a complex interplay of socio-economic, environmental, and political factors. Amidst this intricate landscape, non- state actors emerge as significant players whose representation in news reports shape public understanding and policy responses. This study examines how non-state actors involved in the Herders and Farmers conflict are portrayed in news media narratives and perceived by audiences. The study was divided into two parts: in the first study, utilising qualitative content analysis, 208 news stories were examined to discover how the actors in the Herders’ conflict have been represented in 4 online newspapers. The news coverage presented the Fulani Herders as the perpetrators of the conflict, with primes of the stereotypes of the Fulani Herders as Warlike, Nomad Savage and Invaders. Conversely, the farmers were represented as victims with primes of stereotypes of the Fulani Herdsmen. The findings from the first part of the study also revealed that quasi-elite sources and nonelite sources from the farming community contributed more than other source groups. In the second study, a qualitative experiment and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain evaluations of the non-state actors in the Herders and Farmers conflict, revealing audience’s perception of the non-state actors. Participants’ evaluations of the non-state actors in the conflict revealed the activation of stereotypical views about the non-state actors in conflict primed by the narratives in the news report. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of how media coverage primes audiences to perceive and evaluate the roles and motivations of non-state actors. It also illuminates the mechanisms through which media representations influence public perceptions, providing recommendations for media practitioners to foster sustainable conflict resolution efforts.