Framing Women’s Health in Kenyan Press: A Case of the Standard and Daily Nation Newspapers
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Date
2023-10
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Publisher
Daystar University, School ofCommunication
Abstract
Women’s health in Kenya is a health subject that merits attention and the Kenyan print media plays a crucial role in educating and informing the masses about this matter. Reproductive health, particularly maternal health, takes centre stage when newspapers in Kenya report on women’s health sidelining other health needs. This results in exclusionary women's health policies and health access challenges as was experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the framing of women’s health by the Daily Nation and The Standard newspapers from March 2020 to March 2022. The first research objective was set to examine the types of women's health concerns reported. Secondly, to determine the most frequently reported women's health concerns. Thirdly, to assess the framing of women's health concerns. Lastly, to establish whether the women's health concerns reported in the Daily Nation and The Standard newspapers were prevention-oriented, solution-oriented or both from March 2020 to March 2022. The study employed a descriptive research design with a population of 214 newspapers and a target population of 523 women’s health articles. The Daily Nation reported 254 women’s health articles, while The Standard recorded a total of 269 from March 2020 to March 2022. A sample of 200 women’s health articles was extracted and analyzed using SPSS 27. This study discovered that non-chronic women’s health concerns received more coverage than chronic ones and that the frequency was given to pregnancies and breastfeeding. There were more neutrally framed women’s health articles than positively and negatively framed ones. More coverage was given to prevention-oriented women’s health concerns than solution-oriented ones and both (prevention - and solution-oriented). The research concluded that the Daily Nation and The Standard newspapers adequately reported on women’s health concerns from March 2020 to March 2022. Based on the findings, the study recommended that Kenyan media houses should report on women’s health without linking it to maternal health. Lastly, the study suggested that should focus on television or magazine coverage of women’s health concerns in Kenya.
Description
MASTER OF ARTS
in Communication
Keywords
Women’s Health, Kenyan Press, Standard and Daily Nation Newspapers
Citation
Nungo, M. A., (2023). Framing Women’s Health in Kenyan Press: A Case of the Standard and Daily Nation Newspapers: Daystar University, School ofCommunication