Framing of Covid-19 News in Kenyan Print Media: A Case of Front Pages of Nation and Star Newspapers

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was declared a global health crisis that affected economies worldwide. The lack of clarity, consistency, and responsibility is evident in how Kenyan newspapers framed the crisis, fuelling fear and misinformation. In Kenya, the media was essential in shaping public understanding and responses to the pandemic. The research analysed the different ways COVID-19 news was framed on the front pages of the Daily Nation and The Star, from July to September 2020. The study was guided by three objectives: to examine aspects of COVID-19 news covered in the front pages of The Daily Nation and The Star newspapers, to identify the major framing techniques used, and to establish the sources of COVID-19 frames. This research is grounded in Framing Theory and Agenda-Setting Theory and shows the role of media in selecting and shaping public perception of issues. It identified which frames dominate coverage, the sources of information, and assessed how these frames influenced public discourse and behaviour during the pandemic. This research used a descriptive design, utilising content analysis to examine 46 front-page articles from the two newspapers published during those peak months. The articles were chosen using simple random sampling from a target population of 152 front pages. The data was collected using a coding sheet to categorise articles based on framing techniques, source of information, and thematic focus. Quantitative data was analysed using frequency counts and percentages, while qualitative analysis was thematic. The findings revealed that the most dominant frames used in COVID-19 coverage were conflict (21.7%), fear/uncertainty (17.4%), and human interest (15.2%). Government officials were the most frequently cited sources, followed by healthcare organisations and experts/academic research. The study concluded that media framing is a powerful tool for communication during health emergencies, with implications for public health campaigns, media accountability, and policy development. Based on the findings, the study recommends that Kenyan newspapers diversify their sources of information beyond government officials, collaborate with public health experts for evidence-based reporting, and strengthen crisis communication practices to promote ethical and balanced health journalism. Areas for further research include the role of digital platforms in crisis communication and the long-term impact of media framing on public health. Consequently, the study highlighted the importance of ethical journalism in managing public health crises.