Discursive Construction of Femicide in Selected Kenyan Magazines: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the discursive construction of femicide in two selected prominent Kenyan magazines: The Parents Magazine-Kenya and True Love East Africa. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a theoretical framework, with particular emphasis on approaches developed by Fairclough, van Dijk, and Wodak, the research investigates how language choices in media reporting shape public perception of gender-based violence, particularly femicide. Analysis of articles published in 2019 reveals several key discursive strategies, including sensationalisation, victim vulnerability framing, and occasional victim-blaming language. The findings demonstrate how media discourse both reflects and reinforces existing gender power dynamics and social attitudes toward violence against women. This study contributes to the growing body of research on media representation of gender-based violence in the African context and highlights the need for more sensitive and responsible reporting practices. The study is specifically beneficial to the scholarship on femicide, media discourse, and gender-based violence in Kenya. Recommendations include media literacy programs, gender-sensitive reporting guidelines, and public awareness campaigns to challenge harmful discourses surrounding femicide.