Patterns of Nigerian Newspapers Reportage and Framing of the June 5, 2022 St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo Terrorist Attack

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/07/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 2 (2026)

Article No.

048

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

Received

26 Jun 2026

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2

Downloads

3

Abstract

This study investigated the coverage of the massacre of over 50 worshipers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, during the Pentecost Sunday service on June 5, 2022 by Nigerian newspapers. It examined the extent and nature of their coverage and explored such themes as terrorism, religious persecution and government security inadequacies. Adopting a content analysis design, the study, hinged on social responsibility and framing theories, analysed 25 editions each of the four selected national newspapers (Daily Trust, Leadership, The Punch and Vanguard) published between Sunday June 5 and June 5, 2022, using the systematic sampling procedure. Findings revealed that the newspapers framed the attack as a terrorist act, highlighting the brutality of the violence, while the tone of coverage was predominantly sympathetic and critical, condemning the attack and calling for justice. It was also found that though, ownership influence was not pronounced, some of the stories were sensational, especially in framing issues relating to the incident, without jeopardising objectivity in the newspapers' coverage of the incident. The research provided insights into the complexities of media representation and its impact on public discourse and perception of terrorism and violent attacks in Nigeria. Among others, the study recommended that government needs to be more proactive about security while the media should continue to be more responsible in their coverage of sensitive issues like this.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.