Journal of Media and Communication (JMC)

Assessment of the Daily Newspaper Readership and Accessibility in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area in Kenya: A Study of Public Engagement with Free Newspapers

Stephen Ngugi Mburu — 2025-02-14

The study sought to determine the extent of daily newspaper readership, the accessibility of such newspapers, the range of issues covered, and to explore the feasibility of filling the gap left by the mainstream paid-for newspapers, such as the Daily Nation. The study was framed within three theoretical perspectives: Uses and Gratifications Theory, Agenda-Setting Theory, and Political-Economic Theory. Being an exploratory investigation, the researcher purposively picked Nairobi City County as it is the capital city of Kenya. The research purposively sampled 20 respondents: 10 readers and 10 non-readers of newspapers. The research utilised qualitative methodology, including semi-structured interviews and content analysis. The study findings revealed that content on politics, diplomacy, as well as issues affecting powerful, wealthy and elite, dominated major news pages of the Daily Nation, leaving issues of common man largely unaddressed. Most respondents reported reading the Daily Nation as it carried comprehensive political and business news. The research found a gap in coverage of topics related to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), entertainment, education, and social issues such as transport, water access, and crime. The study concluded that a free newspaper focused on addressing the concerns of the general populace, especially the grassroots, is not only viable but necessary in the Nairobi metropolitan area. The findings strongly suggest that there is a market for a publication that caters for everyday issues, offering accessible and relevant content. It is recommended that media organisations and stakeholders explore opportunities to develop free newspapers that prioritise grassroots issues, ensuring greater inclusivity and public engagement in media consumption.

The moderating influence of attitude on the relationship between behaviour change communication interventions and road safety amongst Boda-boda motorcyclists in Kenyan cities.

Barbara Nthoki — 2025-05-14

This study sought to determine the moderating influence of attitude on the relationship between behaviour change communication and road safety among Boda-boda motorcyclists in Kenyan cities. The study was anchored on the Social Cognitive Theory and Safety Culture Theory. The study used a pragmatic philosophical paradigm with a convergent parallel design of mixed-method research. There was an initial population of 280,000 riders, whereby the Yamane (1967) formula was employed to determine the target population of 399 Boda-boda motorcyclists from four cities in Kenya—Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru—leading to a final sample of 387 respondents. Stratified sampling and simple random sampling were used to draw the sample. Interviews were conducted with nine key informants, purposively sampled from each city, two drawn from the NTSA office, three from the Boda-boda association, and four senior traffic police officers. Quantitative data was collected from the motorcyclists using semi-structured questionnaires, while qualitative data was gathered through key informant interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The findings showed a positive relationship between behaviour change communication and road safety. Attitude as a moderator demonstrated R² = 0.801, p-value = 0.000 < 0.05, indicating a significant impact on predicting road safety and showing a potential synergistic effect between the two factors. BCC interventions aimed at Boda-boda motorcyclists significantly contribute to road safety. The findings will aid road safety stakeholders in crafting BCC interventions that elicit positive behaviour among motorcyclists.