MAINSTREAM MEDIA AS KEY TOOLS IN THE INCLUSION AND INTEGRATION OF
IDPS AND MIGRANTS IN THE MIDDLE BELT
BY
JEMIMAH A. OLUFADE
[email protected]
08103330018
AND
MOHAMMED MAGAJI
08032508119
DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION, KADUNA POLYTECHNIC, KADUNA
BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE 11TH ANNNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
ORGANIZED BY THE COLLEGE OF ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES AND SOCIAL
SCIENCES ON THE THEME: COVID – 19 PANDEMICS: A CHALLENGE TO SOCIO
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NIGREIA
9TH-10TH NOVEMBER, 2021
ABSTRACT
Due to the conflicts and crisis in the country, most prominently the herdsmen- farmers clashes,
an increasing number of communities in the middle belt are faced with the influx of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) since 2016. This paper examines the extents to which the main stream
media as facilitators of public communication and discourse, serve as key instruments to
managing the increasing diversity of IDPs and promoting the inclusion of these persons into
the communities which they find themselves, the objective of this paper is to ascertain the
involvement and influence of these media in the advocacy of IDPs, their inclusion, and
integration into their new communities. Findings show that in spite of the attention given to
IDPs crises by the media, their coverage focusses rather on public discourse, political rhetoric
and gimmicks, than giving the IDPs the much-needed voice. In this regard, recommendations
include
Keywords: internally Displaced persons ( IDPs), Inclusion, Integration, Mainstream media
INTRODUCTION
conflicts and the mass media have become synonymous in the past decades. Humanitarian
circumstances resulting from Conflicts and migrations in many parts of the world, have made
the mass media one of the most topical concerns. In addition to reporting conflicts, the mass
media are obliged to prompt the delivery of humanitarian aids for resettling and integrating
victims of conflicts. The predicaments of migrants and displaced persons in adopted societies
also raise concern about the role of the mass media in influencing government policies, towards
managing conflicts and their attendant humanitarian consequences. Although, media reports on
the suffering of migrants and displaced persons are frequent, problems of diversity and
integration persist. The herdsmen-farmers crises in the Middle Belt of Nigeria is one instance
that vividly captures this humanitarian problem a midst increasing social campaigns.
Thousands of migrants fleeing the middle belt crises are not immune to psychological factors
arising largely from prejudice, unsanitary environments, and insufficient supplies. As the
numbers of these refugees swelled, so did the mass media rhetoric over government funding,
welfare and integration. Humanitarian conditions in the refugee’s camps have compelled scores
of refugees to move into larger communities where they invariably, struggle to integrate and
build new life. The paper examines the levels of Media commitments, participation and patterns
of reporting on the middle belt "migrants and IDPs crises" in Nigeria in terms of how they cope
with diversity as they try to integrate into their new environments.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.
News production research, the study of how economic and other influences on the way news is
produced distort and bias news coverage towards those in power form the theoretical
framework of the paper.
The news production research is an interesting strand of critical cultural theory and a major
influence on mass communication theory that came from European scholarship on media
effects. The critical cultural theory is the idea that media operate primarily to justify and
support the status quo at the expense of ordinary people in accordance with the neo-Marxist
theory.
Characteristics
A. They tend to be macroscopic in scope. They examine broad, culturewide media effects.
B. They are openly and avowedly political. Based on neo-Marxist, their orientation is from the
political left.
C. Their goal is at least to instigate change in government media policies, at most, to effect who
sale change in media and cultural systems.
D. They investigate and explain how elites use media to maintain their positions of privilege
and power, issues such as media ownership, government-media relations, and cooperate media
representations of labour and disenfranchised groups are typical topics of study for critical
cultural theory because they centre on the exercise of power.
W. Lance Bennett (1988) identified four common news production conventions that bolster the
positions of those in power.
1. Personalized News:
2. Dramatized news
3. Fragmented News
4. Normalized news
COMMUNICATION
Communication is seen as a deliberate and conscious act employed to achieve a given
objective. Literally, it may be said that people communicate to elicit other people's response
towards the object or subject of communication I.e message (Jibril, 2005). The sender in the
communication process, for example, can be studied based on the initial stimuli that inspires his
will to communicate. Such stimuli serve as a crucial factor in political communication because
it helps to differentiate the social reality that is being presented from those that are not.
The sender, in principle, is a determinant factor. Not only does the sender occupy a strategic
place at the top end of the communication spectrum, but also controls and dominates the
communication process.
In many instances in which a social or political issue is reported, especially one that involves
sensitive welfare needs for victims of a conflict, and one that straddles ethnicity or religion,
government tend to be inherently worried about how its obligations are percieved by the larger
society. It is no surprise however, that the media, apparently overwhelmed, resort to reports that
emphasise governmental perspectives.
The social context in the communication process has become all the more critical. From this
perspective, Proponents within a cultural or affected enclaves are deemed prominent in the
campaigns for humanitarian and integration efforts alongside the media. The social context
requires sincere and sufficient knowledge of victims' humanitarian welfare with a view to
helping them integrate to rebuild their lives in line with their socio - cultural and religious
values in a dominant social setting.
As an integral part of the communication process, the audience's perception of the
communicator or sender may influence the receiver's evaluation of the content of the message
CHANNEL
The third component in the communication process is the medium. The medium or channel is
the route through which the sender delivers his message I.e. newspapers, radio, television, and
their (the media) online platforms. The sender and the channel are to some extent synonymous
in this context, in that, they represent the same entity. However, in relation to the topic of IDPs
welfare and humanitarian experiences, the impersonal nature of the channel has some certain
unfavourable attributes for the audience, at least in circumstances in which they react to given
situations. The mainstream media are much unlikely to allow for the publication of individual
grievances especially those that criticise government policies. When such grievances are
published, it is often through registered social groups or corporate representatives attached to
welfare agencies.
Stuart Hall (1980) described the mass media as a cultural forum in which various forces fight to
shape perceptions of everyday reality. Hall obviously means that the media could serve all
people.
MESSAGE
The role of message in communication can be likened to the engine of an automobile. Message
drives communication. Far from undermining the importance of the other communication
components, message if nothing else, is the most central element in the communication process
(Mcluhan,1960). The way it is structured, with some in - built socio linguistic mechanism,
which consciously or otherwise call the attention of the receiver to react in a specific way,
message, underpins the intention of the communicator. The more coherent and logical the
mechanisms are, how well they are organized or structured, determine the extent to which they
achieve their purpose.
News is the method by which much of the information about IDPs are reported. A great deal of
information about crises and social instabilities are reported as part of routine daily news; brief,
capsulated stories with little room for perspectives and contexts. Although there is an apparent
obsession with portraying the stories as objective, the realities in the stories often contradict the
real circumstances they address. As regard integration, there has been far less media agenda
than is required to prompt the necessary governmental action for the IDPs. Similarly, there is a
seeming 'evasive tactics' and the employment of rhetoric when the IDPs welfare is discussed in
public arena. Not only are the messages highly transmissional but also explicitly detrimental
because they trivialize important social problems and reduce them to political discourse. The
lack of will by the media to delve into the controversies and offer independent perspectives that
challenge the rather mundane government reportage, raises the age-old neo-Marxist sentiment
that the media "operate primarily to justify and support the status qou". This is also in line with
what Akinfeleye had said “the social political ideology of a nation is reflective of the type of
press system that operates in that society".
AUDIENCE
Theorists gave a full range of audience categorizations from extremely passive to highly active
participants. As politics and related phenomena continue to engulf the mass media, restricting
their coverage on sensitive socio - political issues, the social media networks have become a
sanctuary that provide endless stream of information that would otherwise not be published.
However, beneath this facade of unrestricted access to information lies the threat of fake news
and highly sensational and inflammatory materials. If circumventing inflammatory material in
news serves the fundamental purpose of maintaining stability in our diverse social composition
as often claimed, then the activities of the social media make this absolutely ironical.
However, not all audience are so vulnerable. personal and social factors play a major role in
how media messages are consumed (Katz, lazarsfeld,1955). The influence of social groups such
as clans and religions among others factors, are critical to how members of a group reacts to
media messages. Since media reports on challenging social problems tend to be scrappy,
disgruntled groups are much likely to use the more accessible social media platforms to vent
their feelings.
Active media consumers are those who actively participate in the mass communication process.
This category is particularly important because it actively processes information, reshapes it
and store only what serves culturally defined needs (Baran and Davis, 2009). As literate and
critical media consumers, they have the potential to become opinions leaders and mouthpiece
for their subjects. The scathing social media articles and analyses about insecurity and conflict
in the middle belt region are written by this audience group.
POLITICS AND COMMERCIALISM
The mass media are at the core of everyday political life and are described as the fourth estate
of the realm. As information delivery systems with established norms for the service of society,
they are consistently pressured to adhere to broad social and ethical frameworks as they fulfil
their watch dog role in society. The watch dog notion underlies the public assumption of them
to operate within some strict social rules. However, the mass media are business ventures, and
like all business ventures, they are drawn to the lure of profit and prestige. At the marketplace
however, and in contrast to other businesses, the mass media seem to thrive more profitably on
politics ((Murdock and Golding, 1977).
Political - economic theory within which this claim is made focuses primarily on the relation
between the economic structure and dynamics of media industries and the ideological content
of media. From this poit of view, the media institution has to be considered as part of the
economic system, with close links with the political system. Murdock and Golding further
remarked that " the consequence are to be observed in the reduction of independent media
sources, concentration on the largest markets, avoidance of risks, and reduced investment in
less profitable media tasks such as investigative reporting and documentary film - making, in
addition to neglect of smaller and poorer sectors of the potential audience, and often a
politically unbalanced range of news media".
Functionalist theory explains social practices and institutions in terms of the 'needs' of the
society and of individuals (Metron, 1957) cited McQual 2005. Society is viewed as an ongoing
system of diversed and linked working parts or subsystems, each making an essential
contribution to continuity and order. The media can be seen as one of these systems (McQuail,
2005). Mass media, according to functionalist theory are essential to society for:
a. Integration b. Order/ control c. Adaptation to change
FINDINGS
Integration
The issue of integration of displaced persons is a national issue and global phenomenon. The
government of Benue state has developed a framework to enable smoother integration into their
new/ continuing communities. Spencer, S (2003) says that there are three fundamental
questions raised in the issue of integration of IDSPs into their new communities;
1. Are they like us? 2. Can they be like us? 3. Can we like them?
Hence, the issue to how best to integrate IDPs, lies in answering Spencer’s three questions.
That integration must include basic principles and must be a process between the IDPs and their
host community, the residents of the community, respect for culture and values. Hence, the
place of mainstream media in orientation and socialization of the IDPs through intentional
educative programmes.
Inclusion
Inclusion refers to the process of integrating individuals or groups into broader societal
frameworks, ensuring they have equal access to resources, opportunities, and social
participation. In the context of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State, Nigeria,
inclusion involves facilitating the integration of IDPs into their host communities, addressing
their needs, and promoting social cohesion.
Mainstream media plays a crucial role in this inclusion process by raising awareness about the
challenges faced by IDPs, sharing their stories, and advocating for policies that promote their
rights and welfare. Through coverage of IDP issues, media can influence public perception,
reduce stigma, and encourage community support. It can provide a platform for IDPs to voice
their experiences and contribute to discussions on how to foster a harmonious coexistence with
host communities. Research has shown that effective media engagement can lead to increased
visibility of IDPs’ rights and needs, influencing humanitarian response strategies and public
policy (Crisp, 2010; Betts, 2013). In Benue State, for instance, media campaigns addressing the
plight of IDPs have contributed to mobilizing resources and community support, thereby
enhancing their integration into local societies.
RECOMMENDATION
Mainstream media can play a crucial role in promoting IDP inclusion by:
1. Raising Awareness and Advocacy: Mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and
Premium Times have published articles that raise awareness about the plight of IDPs.
They spotlight the living conditions in camps and the need for essential services,
promoting understanding and empathy within host communities (Ogunshola, 2020).
Highlighting IDPs' plight and the need for support through their content/ programs and
campaigns.
2. Promoting peacebuilding through Community Engagement: Media outlets have
facilitated community forums where both IDPs and host communities engage in
discussions. This helps address misconceptions, reduce tensions, and promote social
cohesion. Coverage of success stories where communities have come together to
support IDPs helps to foster a spirit of solidarity (Adebayo, 2021). Encouraging
dialogue and understanding between conflicting parties, by providing accessible
platforms for dialogue.
3. Providing information/ Policy Influence: By providing a platform for voices of IDPs
and advocates, mainstream media can influence policy decisions regarding relief efforts
and integration programs. Reports have led to governmental and NGO responses that
aim to provide better support for IDPs, aiding their reintegration into the community
(Nwankwo, 2019), as well as Informing IDPs about available services and support.
By working together, government agencies, humanitarian organizations, and mainstream media
can help IDPs in Benue State rebuild their lives and achieve sustainable inclusion in their host
CONCLUSION
As in many instances of conflict in Nigeria, the herdsmen - farmers crises is one in which there
had been sustained media failing in reporting the plight of the victims. The Normalization of
the crisis in news, has made critical realities about the IDPs impossible to emerge. There had
been absolute lack of media sensitization to create nationwide supports for the middle belt
refugees. Most issues about the refugees were drowned in rhetoric and political discourse which
drastically undermined the contexts and perspectives of the conflict and the humanitarian crisis
it had created. The victims were ill-represented in the mainstream media. However, social
media was used extensively to report the conflict leading to lingering conspiracy theories and
widespread disenchantment with the government. With the consequential trivialization of the
crisis, the predicaments of the victims were discussed in isolation of typical humanitarian needs
especially basic welfare, identity and integration.
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