Date of Award
11-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Digital Journalism (MADJ)
First Supervisor/Advisor
James Oranga
Second Supervisor/Advisor
Samuel Ngigi
Department
Graduate School of Media and Communications
Abstract
This study analyses the coverage of demonetisation of Kenyan currency in 2019 from a media priming theoretical framework. Four specific objectives guided the study. These were to: determine frequency of newspaper coverage of demonetisation stories, establish placement of demonetisation stories, analyse themes addressed with respect to demonetisation stories, and establish editorial considerations that were made in deciding the stories on demonetisation published by the print media in Kenya. The population was 244 copies printed from 2nd June 2019 to 1st October 2019 out of which 92 copies were included in the analysis with three interviews from business journalists. This study established that the media in Kenya did not adequately prime demonetisation stories. The study found that media houses considered demonetisation stories as complex for the audience, media managers were not very receptive to pitches involving demonetisation stories and they did not allocate enough space for publication of the stories. This study concludes that media houses could explore partnerships to build the capacity of journalists to cover complex emerging topics and that journalists need to do more research to produce quality stories on a specific government policy, frequently. This study recommends that more studies be done focusing on other media platforms such as television, radio, and online as well as the period after the 30th September 2019 deadline for the exchange of the old 1,000 currency notes.
Recommended Citation
Nasokho, S. W. (2022). Priming of government policy: a case study of media coverage of the demonetisation of 1,000 bills by the nation and the standard (Unpublished master's dissertation). Aga Khan University, East Africa.