Examining The Daily Nation Newspaper’s Framing of Female Political Aspirants during Kenya’s 2022 General Election Campaign (January – August 2022)

Abstract

This study investigated how Daily Nation newspaper framed female political aspirants during Kenya’s 2022 general election campaign period, focusing on coverage between January and August 2022. Despite constitutional reforms aimed at enhancing gender parity in political representation, media portrayals continue to influence public perceptions and electoral outcomes. The purpose of this research was to analyze the dominant frames, tone of coverage, and presence of gendered stereotypes in the newspaper’s reporting on female presidential, gubernatorial, and parliamentary candidates. Guided by three core objectives, the study sought to: (1) Identify the dominant frames used in Daily Nation’s coverage of female aspirants; (2) Assess the tone of coverage whether positive, negative, or neutral; and (3) Examine the extent to which gendered stereotypes were reflected in the framing. The research was anchored in Framing Theory, Agenda- Setting Theory, and Symbolic Annihilation Theory, which collectively provided a lens for understanding how media narratives shape political visibility and legitimacy. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed, using content analysis of 117 newspaper articles sampled from a total of 168 editions published during the campaign period. Data were collected from archived issues accessed at the Kenya National Library Services. A structured coding sheet and codebook guided the analysis, capturing variables such as article placement, tone, dominant frames, and use of photographs. Key findings revealed that the most dominant frame was the “Reformist/Change Agent,” accounting for over 50% of coverage, signaling a shift toward more substantive portrayals of female aspirants. However, traditional frames such as “Victim” and “Iron Lady” persisted, especially in coverage of high-profile races. The tone of coverage was predominantly positive (49.6%), with neutral and negative tones comprising 31.6% and 18.8% respectively. Gendered stereotypes appeared in 22.2% of articles, with victimization being the most common, followed by family-role and emotionality frames. Notably, female aspirants in gubernatorial and presidential (running mate) races were more likely to be subjected to stereotypical portrayals than those in parliamentary contests. The study concludes that while progress has been made in portraying female politicians as credible leaders, significant gaps remain in visibility, prominence, and stereotype-free representation. Recommendations include urging media practitioners to adopt gender-sensitive editorial policies, prioritize issue-based reporting, and enhance the visual and narrative prominence of female aspirants. Advocacy groups and policymakers are encouraged to monitor media coverage and promote media literacy to counter biased portrayals. Future research should expand to other media platforms and explore longitudinal trends in gendered political reporting.