Media and the Challenges of Displaced Men in Nigeria

This chapter addresses the under-reportage of the challenges confronting the male population of the IDPs by the mainstream media in Nigeria. It argues that the challenges facing the IDPs as a result of the Boko Haram terrorism, natural and man-made disasters, as well as the Hausa-Fulani mayhem, are peculiar to all the IDPs irrespective of demographic disparities. With the aid of 256 copies of questionnaires distributed among the male population of IDPs, recording 100 percent return rate and interviews conducted at Durumi Area One IDPs Camps in Abuja, FCT, the study answered the research questions posed here. Findings show that the plights of the male population of the IDPs ranging from hunger, starvation, water, electricity, accommodation shortages, and lack of sustainable occupation, portend serious human security threats for the country. It proposes policy-relevant actions for the government and other related agencies working with the IDPs; while concluding the role of media in trumpeting the challenges of the male population of the IDPs will mitigate their plights.

Risk Communication for Viral Hepatitis Management Among Migrants

The burden of viral hepatitis is high with huge mortality and morbidity on human population. The increasing migration of people from areas highly prevalent of viral hepatitis poses a unique threat to the healthcare systems of the host nations. The deficient universal standards for screening, vaccination, and treatment of viral hepatitis have therefore made the burden of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma to increase among migrant populations globally. This study examines the role of risk communication in managing viral hepatitis among migrants at the different levels of pre-departure phase, travel phase, destination phase, interception phase and the return phase. The study concluded on the need for concerted effort by national governments to develop a national communication policy with comprehensive risk communication strategies on viral hepatitis management among migrants.

Newspaper Coverage of Internal Youth Migration in Nigeria

Nigeria has witnessed the migration of her citizens from one location to another within her geographical boundaries. This is generally known as internal migration. The push and pull factors have been identified by scholars and the effects on the nation's development documented. However, the media's role in elevating internal migration discourse to public space and consciousness has not been adequately studied. A content analysis of four purposely selected national dailies, with a total of 584 systematically selected editions from 2017 and 2018, was done. In the study, 196 stories (33.6%) were found to be qualified as internal migration stories involving young Nigerians. Domestic violence and abuse (38.3%) were found to be the major cause of internal migration amongst youths. Results also show that internal migration stories were not prominently positioned or placed in the dailies. Seventy-five percent of the stories were placed as inside page stories in tiny corners of the newspapers. The print media should consistently and prominently raise the issue of internal migration and migrants to public attention and discourse so that the causes of internal migration and the attendant consequences can be addressed by all concerned.

The Mass Media, Migration Issues, and the Brain Drain Nexus

While a majority of literature by Nigerian scholars adduce that economic and political factors were responsible for the menace of brain drain plaguing the medical profession and other highly skilled professionals in Nigeria. The review of literature in this area seems not to capture the view of any known Nigerian scholar who identifies the media as a factor capable of influencing the rising migratory trend of skilled professionals exiting to more viable economies abroad. Maslow's theory of needs, Marilyn's Ex-post facto research design and Creswell's mixed method approach which allows for the combined or separate use of qualitative and quantitative methods for analyzing data and arguments on the subject of migration, in line with the objectives of the chapter, were utilized. The mass media is identified as a pertinent factor capable of negatively or positively influencing the high turnover of brain drain cases amongst skilled professionals in Nigeria. The chapter suggested some steps necessary for curbing the menace of brain drain amongst doctors and other professionals in Nigeria.

Channels Television on YouTube

The migration of people in large numbers from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and South Sudan, to receiving countries such as South Korea, America, Canada, Russia, and Germany among others remains a challenge because of its attendant violence and conflicts. This study, using descriptive content analysis, examined the comments of Channels Television's YouTube channel commenters, as it relates to migration stories reported online. A total number of 30 YouTube videos on migration were selected based on their recency. Comments under the YouTube videos from January 2018 until April 2019, were examined using descriptive analysis to extract themes from these comments. The theories adopted for this study were the Framing and Priming theories. The analysis of public comments was to understand public discussions on migration and observe future implication of this discourse on inter-national relationships. Results revealed a possible future cultural divide among nations affected by migration if necessary actions are taken globally. The authors fear that such outcome could further promote disunity across nations and deprive individuals of their search for the greener pastures. The prevalent perceptions of the audience on the issue of migration which are advanced by these online comments can lure audience who read these comments but not involved in the discussions to believe and act it out.

African Migrant Narratives, Modern Slavery, and Human Rights Violations in Libya

Libya has served as the entrepôt for the modern slave trade from Africa to Europe for many decades. In recent years, however, international bodies, as well as the media, have raised deep concerns on the unimaginable horrors Sub-Saharan African migrants are forced to witness and experience during their stay and transit through Libya. It is against this background that this study through the ‘narrative research approach' sought to examine the various patterns of human rights violations experienced by African migrants in Libya as well as the role of the media in exposing the horrific trends of modern slavery. The study finds horrific patterns of human right violations perpetuated by both state and non-state actors in Libya. In addition, the media has played significant roles in serving as a major and reliable source of information on this phenomenal migration of the new age as well as a mediating body between policymakers and migrants. However, the complacency of governments whose citizens have and are being abused represents a more complex migration issue that needs to be addressed.

Human Rights Abuses Against Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria

This chapter investigates media reportage of human right abuses and sexual violence against internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria. Using the social responsibility theory, it analyses how the media frames, prominence, slant and whether the Nigeria media employed investigative reports in its reportage of human rights abuses against IDPs. The chapter through a quantitative content analysis of 157 editions of two purposely selected newspapers (the Vanguard NG and the Daily Trust), found that the media failed to contextualise the stories in relation to its causes, solutions and in identifying perpetrators for justice to be served, similarly, the media took sides with victims of the violations. It also failed to accord the required prominence and necessary investigative touch to such stories. It is recommended that there should be frequent trainings for journalists so as to safeguard professionalism in the industry.

Malevolent Trespassers or Benevolent Guests

Migration, a phenomenon where different factors compel people to move from one location to a new location, has remained an intrinsic feature of the human world. Many studies have been conducted on media portrayal of migrants, little scholarly attention has been paid to the dominant image of African migrants in the news media. Therefore, this study, deploying agenda-setting and framing theories, attempted a meta-analysis of the existing studies on media portrayal of African migrants with a view to establishing the dominant image of the migrants as reported by the media. Twenty-five journal articles on portrayal of African migrants purposively selected through online search were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings reveal that the media portrayed African migrants via negative lens with the use of ubiquitous derogatory frames which include: aliens, foreigners, purveyors of social ills, vagrant, criminals, chaotic and hopeless. These dominant negative images of Africa and African migrants portend a great danger to globalisation and global economic integration. The realisation of comprehensive globalization and global economic integration will remain elusive as long as the media continue to give more prominence to the negatives of migration than the positives. Therefore, the media agenda, in all climes, should be used to positively influence public agenda and policies as regards migration.

Role of the Media on Migrants' Vulnerability to Health Hazards

Health is an important aspect of human existence. Good health depends on a variety of factors like physical, biological, economic, and environmental factors. These factors have a contributory effect on the total well-being of a person positively or negatively. One of the negative effects is migration. Illegal migration has helped in the spread of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Many migrants are unaware of the health implication of migration because they are not equipped with necessary information for informed decision. This information can only be made available through the media. There has been a paucity of literature on migration and health. This chapter sought to examine how the media has helped to disseminate information that encourage or discourage people to migrate. It was recommended that the media work in concert with government and non-governmental organizations to provide information that would show case the health challenges migrants face. It also recommended that testimonies of survivors should be reported in a way that would discourage potential migrants.

Media Advocacy

Across the world, media has been used to promote policies, including those associated with general public health and those targeting vulnerable groups such as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Since 2002, North-eastern Nigeria has suffered immensely from the Boko Haram insurgency causing thousands of deaths and the displacement of persons. Drawing on secondary data and employing descriptive analysis, the chapter discusses the common health crises IDPs in Nigeria face and addresses how media advocacy can be adopted in improving better health interventions for IDPs in Nigeria. The study found that the poor health care interventions in IDP camps are direct reflections of the poor health system of the Nigerian state. It recommends media advocacy both for the immediate intervention of relevant actors especially the government in providing better health care for IDPs as well as the long-term interventions in the initiation of better health care policies for IDPs.