Examination of the tone of media coverage of Kenya’s 2022 general election

Abstract

This study examines the media’s tone of reporting on Kenya’s 2022 presidential election by reviewing the Daily Nation and The Standard during the official campaign, focusing on candidates William Ruto and Raila Odinga. These newspapers were chosen due to their coverage of a diverse range of Kenyan media outlets; Daily Nation is considered centre-right, while The Standard is seen as having apparent political affiliations. Using a quantitative content analysis of 2,207 election-related stories, the study categorised tone as negative, neutral, or positive based on language, headlines, and framing. Raila Odinga received higher neutral coverage (91.5%) compared to William Ruto (88.5%), while Ruto faced greater negativity (9.0% vs 5.0%). Both candidates had low positive coverage, with Ruto 2.5 per cent and Odinga 3.5 per cent. Challenges such as media partisanship and historical biases significantly influenced coverage tone, reflecting the interplay between media ownership and politics. These disparities potentially shaped public perceptions, influenced by the candidates' reputations and campaign strategies. This study focuses on how responsible media coverage and processes play out in democratic processes and the centrality of media in the electoral processes.