Conflict reporting and parachute journalism in Africa

A study of CNN and Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency

Bibliographic Data

ID12913301
AuthorsAliyu Odamah Musa (0000-0002-7317-7216, Coventry University, corresponding author), Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u (0000-0001-6104-6545)
Year2013
Volume6
Issue2
Pages251-267
Publication date2013-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Arab & Muslim Media Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-9411 • E-ISSN: 1751-942X
PublisherIntellect (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1386/jammr.6.2-3.251_1
OpenAlexW2313780554
LanguageEN
Citations received10

The violent insurgence in Northern Nigeria linked to the group ‘Jama’atu Ahlussunna Lidda’wati wal Jihad’, also known as ‘Boko Haram’, has since its outbreak in July 2009 attracted a lot of international media attention. Two notable media channels that have consistently reported it are CNN and Al Jazeera English. By applying the critical discourse analysis technique this article focuses on how these reputable media organizations often rely on parachute reporting – whereby correspondents are only dispatched to the scene of the conflict from their offices or beats abroad – and the consequences. This tradition has a tendency to raise questions on the credibility of the reports as the correspondents’ access to local sources is hindered and their understanding of the local terrain and context of the conflict could be problematic. This article, therefore, postulates that CNN and Al Jazeera reportage of the Boko Haram conflict using reporters not fully based in the affected areas leads to misunderstanding and misreporting the crisis and misinforming the audience. This type of reporting is also found to lead to inadvertent polarization of the conflict due to the use of assumptions and stereotypes in news reporting, which questions the media’s role as neutral observers/reporters of the conflict

Boko haram · Context (archaeology · Credibility · Criminology · Insurgency · Journalism · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Sociology · Terrorism · Violent extremism · History · Law · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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