What does this research mean for the field?

While the majority of Nigerian newspaper reports on the 2004 ethno-religious conflicts in Plateau State adhered to professional ethics, a significantly high number of reports were unethical, often utilizing prominent front-page placement and images to attract audience attention. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to evaluate the adherence of media reportage to professional ethics during ethno-religious conflicts in Plateau State.

June 18, 2026

Media Reportage of Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Plateau State

Key Points

This study aims to evaluate the adherence of media reportage to professional ethics during ethno-religious conflicts in Plateau State.
Content analysis of newspaper articles from January to June 2004
Examined publications from The Nigeria Standard, The Punch, Daily/Weekly Trust, and The Champion
Applied social responsibility theory for interpretative insights.
Majority of reports adhered to journalism ethics, but a significant portion were found to be unethical.
Newspapers prominently featured stories on the front pages to attract attention.
Use of pictures enhanced accessibility for both literate and non-literate audiences.

Abstract

Abstract In about a decade ago, the Southern Senatorial District of Plateau State in the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria has been bedeviled by ethno-religious conflicts. This has led to loss of several lives and wanton destruction of property. The mass media have been the major avenues through which people within and outside the state got to know about the crises. This study focused on the reportage of the ethno-religious conflicts in Southern Plateau. The newspapers content analyzed were The Nigeria Standard, The Punch, Daily/Weekly Trust and The Champion. The main objective of the study is to determine whether media reportage of the crises were in line with professional ethics of journalism. The period under study was January to June, 2004. The research method was content analysis, while the social responsibility theory was used to buttress the understanding of the study. The population of the study was the entire publications of the selected newspapers totaling 665 editions. Based on descriptive data analysis, the study reveals that prominence was given to the stories by newspapers in placement of stories in front pages. It also reveals that pictures were used to attract audience attention more than other stories such that both literates and non-literates can understand it. Furthermore, while majority of the reports were ethical, a high number were unethical. The study therefore, recommended that there should be regulations of media content by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Press Council and the National Broadcasting Commission. Also, there should be effective gate- keeping in media establishments to avoid escalation of conflicts by the practitioners. Key Words: Ethnicity, Religion, Conflict, Media, Social Responsibility JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 5, No. 1, April 2013, 79 – 92 ©Delmas Communications Ltd. About the author *Dr. Ladi Adamu is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. Full Article Words: 7,579; Pages: 14

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Media Reportage of Ethno-Religious Conflicts in Plateau State

Key Points

Abstract

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