Framing Boko Haram’s female suicide bombers in mass media: an analysis of news articles post Chibok abduction

Abstract

ABSTRACT The employment of female suicide bombers continues to be a trend among terrorist organisations. Due to their sensationalist nature, suicide bombings attract extensive media attention and are often covered through different, though intentional, lenses. While existing literature has identified various frames that the media used to portray female suicide bombers, there is not yet a study focusing on the framing of those affiliated with Boko Haram, an organisation known for its high rate of children and women involved in suicide attacks. Investigating media coverage of suicide bombing events carried out by Boko Haram’s female bombers after the Chibok abduction reveals two prominent frames: the liable agents frame, which is utilised mostly in local sources, and the vulnerable and helpless girls frame, in international sources. While a polarised construction of Boko Haram’s female suicide bombers can have both negative and positive implications, a comprehensive portrayal that treats these women as more than either perpetrators of violence or victims is needed. This can only be accomplished if journalists understand the consequences of their news writing routines and the media sources’ organisational pressures and constraints are adjusted to accommodate a more complex representation of the female suicide bombers in Boko Haram.