Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Digital Journalism (MADJ)
First Supervisor/Advisor
Peter Kimani
Second Supervisor/Advisor
Peter Misiani Mwencha
Department
Graduate School of Media and Communications
Abstract
The media plays an important role in shaping diplomatic relations and influencing state actions. However, there is limited understanding of media coverage of the closures of the Rwanda-Uganda border. This study sought to investigate media coverage of the closure of the Rwanda-Uganda border closure in the period 2019-2022. It applied Critical Discourse Analysis and Framing Theory as its theoretical framework. Through content analysis of the media coverage from this period and in-depth interviews with journalists from the Daily Monitor in Uganda and the New Times in Rwanda, the study investigated how each newspaper created narratives. The study found that while both newspapers employed similar frames, including diplomatic crises, political tensions, economic consequences, and security threats, their reportage diverged based on the political and institutional contexts of the reporters and media ownership of their entities. The New Times highlighted security threats consistent with Rwanda’s national narrative, while the Daily Monitor emphasized economic consequences and political tensions aligned with Uganda’s position in regional economic development. Coverage from both newspapers displayed imbalances, favoring the perspectives of their respective countries. Nevertheless, journalists made efforts to maintain editorial independence and used media diplomacy to influence the resolution of the crisis. This study provides significant insights into the relationship between journalistic practices, media ownership, and national interests in media coverage of international crises. It emphasizes the critical role of the media in shaping public discourse and mediating tensions through constructing narratives and framing. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of media practices during international conflicts and journalists’ vital, though delicate balancing act of maintaining editorial independence and integrity against the push and pull of external pressures from other actors in politics, business, and national institutions.
Recommended Citation
Irigoga Charlotte. (2025). Media coverage of the closure of the Rwanda-Uganda border in the period 2019-2022 (Unpublished thesis). Nairobi: Aga Khan University - Graduate School of Media and Communications.
