The Media’s Role in Quelling Violent Conflict Involving Youths as Foot Soldiers:A Content Analysis of News Report on Boko Haram Suicide Bombers and Civilian Joint Task Force-CJTF

The media has been used as tool for instigating violent conflicts in Nigeria to a large extent. Worse still, the youth are vulnerable tools for conflict promotion and hate communication. This trend has become a normal phenomenon, such that anytime, anywhere there is conflict, the youth are at the centre. While the mass media disseminate information about such conflicts, children and youth today like in any other time and clime where there is conflict, are now being used as agent of escalation leading to wanton destruction of lives and properties. The Nigerian youths have received their own fair share in the ongoing Boko Haram Terrorism insurgency.  The Boko Haram insurgency is one that has lasted for almost a decade now, and the media has been at the forefront of acting as foot soldiers by spreading hate messages. This study examines the extent to which the media has been able to report the involvement of youths and children in violent conflict with a view to deescalating violent conflicts in Jos metropolis. The Cognitive Balance Theory was used to explain the research. The content analysis design was used for the study and the population was drawn from major Nigerian newspapers. Findings of the study revealed that most of the newspapers reported the issues without providing panacea to the authorities and society on how to address the challenges in their front page headlines. The study further revealed that violent nature in which the involvement of youths in terrorism was being reported did not augur well for conflict management journalism. Therefore, it is recommended that the media in Plateau State could be used to promote peace.