Journalism educators’ evaluations of conflict reporting and the imperatives for peace journalism in Nigeria

This study examines current methods of reporting conflict in Nigeria from three perspectives: (i) how journalism academics regard current methods; (ii) what best reporting methods they recommend; and (iii) what kind of training they think is suitable for journalists who report conflicts. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was used as methodology and focus group discussion was conducted in three phases: evaluation, proposition and education. Answers suggest that current methods of reporting conflict are irresponsible and capable of discouraging nonviolent reactions to conflicts, that many journalists are prejudiced by ethnicity, religion and party politics that skew their reporting and that Nigeria needs peace journalism to obviate obstacles to peace. The study recommends mainstreaming conflict-sensitive reporting and peace journalism into the curricula of journalism education and training to improve the reporting of conflicts and terrorism. The authors believe that synergized policy between media and universities can profit from the values that conflict analysis and peace journalism offer.