Insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in Northern Nigeria, is increasingly experienced not only as a physical reality but also as a mediated construct shaped by mass media narratives. This study examines newspaper framing of insecurity and its influence on public perception and fear among residents of Bida, Niger State. Grounded in Framing Theory and Cultivation Theory, the study adopts a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, integrating survey data from 378 respondents with content analysis of 25 purposively selected online news articles. Survey results indicate high newspaper exposure significantly shapes cognitive perception of insecurity (χ²(9, N = 378) = 52.31, p < .001). However, regression analysis shows that perception does not significantly predict fear (R² = 0.002, p = 0.393), suggesting that emotional responses are contextually mediated. The study concludes that while media framing strongly constructs perceptions of insecurity, fear responses are moderated by lived experience and environmental familiarity. It contributes empirical evidence from a semi-urban Northern Nigerian context, advancing understanding of how mediated insecurity narratives influence public interpretation and emotional resilience.

• Fear
• Insecurity