Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism (MADJ)

First Supervisor/Advisor

James Ndhone

Department

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Abstract

The success and survival of media houses is based on viewership as informed on audience loyalty that is pegged on perceived credibility of the news items, news anchors and media houses. But, extent of credibility perception as influenced by gender under the gender disparity concept has not been assessed within the Kenyan media space; which forms the focus of this study. The main objective was to investigate gender perceptions in the credibility of male and female news anchors in Kenya. Specifically, the study assessed the perceived credibility of male news anchors in presenting hard news items in Kenya and examined female news anchors perceived credibility in presenting soft news items in Kenya. The study was anchored on social role and social credibility theories and there was use of mixed method approach in obtaining qualitative and quantitative data. The survey involved respondents watching a hard and soft news clip presented by male and female news anchors and answering the research questions by filling the online Google form. Content and thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data, descriptive analysis for quantitative data and independent t-test was for checking the hypothesis. Findings showed that credibility perceptions on presentation of soft or hard news by male and female anchors was not based on gender. The conducted t-tests, thus rejected the null hypothesis based on indiscriminate values for male and female news anchors in presenting hard news. The study concluded that other factors including comprehensiveness and completeness of the information, citing information sources, trustworthiness, factual and knowledgeable news anchors influenced the credibility perception of the news item and anchors. The study recommended use of double pairing anchoring, training programs and involvement of news anchors in the sourcing, scripting, editing and production of news items to improve credibility perception.

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