FRAMING BANDITRY TERRORISM IN NIGERIA BY INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

ABSTRACT This study examined how international media frame news on terrorism and how such framing shapes public understanding. Specifically, the study sought to determine the public's main sources of terrorism-related news in Nigeria, ascertain audience preferences for particular news sources, identify the motives behind media choices concerning terrorism news and establish factors influencing audience reliance on specific news outlets for terrorism coverage. Anchored on the Media Framing Theory, the study adopted the survey research method and utilized a sample size of 384 respondents drawn from Makurdi metropolis. The findings revealed that a significant proportion (70.4%) of news consumers rely on local radio and television stations for information about events occurring around them. The study further found that local media outlets such as NTA, Radio Nigeria and private FM stations constitute the primary sources of terrorism-related news, accounting for 73.3% of respondents who first turn to these media platforms for confirmation of terror-related incidents. In contrast, international media organizations such as BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN and VOA attracted only 16.3% of the audience, while news websites and social media platforms accounted for 6.7%. These findings indicate that international media command a relatively smaller audience for terrorism-related news within Nigeria. The study recommended that local radio and television stations should continue to improve the professionalism and quality of their coverage, given the growing reliance of audiences on these media outlets for daily information and updates on security-related issues.