The Print Media Portrayal of the War on Al Shabaab: Case Study of the Daily Nation & the Standard Newspapers), in Kenya

Abstract

The research was done on the portrayal of the war on Al-Shabaab by the print media. Through content analysis we were able to analyze the print media coverage of the war. The case-study was the "Daily Nation" and the "Standard" Newspapers. Within the course of the research, we examined the media portrayal of the war on Al-Shabaab to determine if the impact of reporting and coverage influenced opinions and perceptions. The study examined print media portrayal to determine if reporting and coverage over the period was of any substance. Through content analysis we examined if different media reportage and coverage portended variety of tone, framing to subsequently affect opinions and perceptions on the incursion into Somalia. Various items in their coverage were analyzed and sampled respondents gave varying opinions from reading of either both or only one of the Daily Nation and the Standard newspapers. This research paper attempted to evaluate; through content analysis the different tones and framing of reporting on events of the war. The study concluded that framing carried a variety of differences in tone, framing and emotion throughout the newspapers. This research proved that most commentaries and opinions provided negative reports of the war, while Editorials and News articles positively portrayedthe war. Not all news coverage is impartial, some do develop a life of creating huge news waves on a story full of exaggeration and distortion to amplify and magnify.