Assessing the Influence of Media Practices in Shaping Democratic Processes in East Africa Community States; a Case of Kenya

Abstract

The mass media constitute the backbone of democracy and the media provides voters with political knowledge on which to base their decisions. The relationship between mass media and democracy in Kenya has not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the influence of media practices in shaping democratic processes in East Africa community states; a case of Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; to analyse the role of mass media in the democratic process in Kenya, to assess the audiences’ attitudes towards mass media contribution towards the democratisation process in Kenya, to examine how audiences use information received from mass media to enhance democratic process in Kenya and to expound the factors that impedes mass media capacity to promote democracy in Kenya. The study was guided by Agenda Setting Theory. The agenda-setting idea describes the media's powerful role in informing the public about important matters to consider. The study adopted the quantitative method and qualitative methods. The study employed the use of simple random sampling to select 200 individuals using purposive sampling. The sample included all members of the public who are 18 years and above. The study's findings show that one of the media's most important tasks in any society is to inform the people about important topics that might assist them in making decisions. The current study indicates that the media in Kenya has made its audience aware of various democratic issues that are on-going within the country. The goal of agenda setting is to enlighten the public about the relative importance of issues and to reinforce those messages through media coverage. When people are exposed to issues through news articles, their perceptions of how important that issue is shift. The importance of the media in affecting public perception and attitudes is central to the agenda-setting idea. The study has made the following recommendations based on the findings that have been obtained and the conclusions that have been drawn; the governments should fully implement the constitution of Kenya provisions on media freedoms by not engaging in illegal media regulations such as gagging and harassment and the general public should be educated on matters related to the role of the media in the democratic process and also on how they should protect media freedom.