Nexus Between the Media and Countering Terrorism in Nigeria: A Discourse

Terrorism has assumed a global dimension sparing no part of the world. Almost every part of the globe has had its unfortunate share of the menace of terrorism in this 21st Century. In the last two decades (2001-2021, terrorism has spread from the Middle-East to America, Europe, Africa and other parts of the world with successful deadly attacks resulting in humongous fatalities. Major actors in terrorism include the terrorist groups, their sponsors, governments’ security forces, the victims and the media. Because of the important role the media play in the public space, this discourse examines the symbiotic relationship between the media and terrorism with reference to Nigeria. Anchored on the theories of agenda-setting, news framing and priming, the paper examines the nature of terrorism, purpose of terrorism, causes of terrorism, terrorism and organized crime, symbiotic relationship between media and terrorism, and ultimately the role of the media in combating terrorism in the world in general and Nigeria in particular. Cases of some notable terrorist attacks as reported in the Nigerian media were cited as illustrations.