PhD in Social Transformation

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Browsing PhD in Social Transformation by Author "GITAU ANNIE"

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    IMPACT OF EDITORIAL POLICIES ON NEWS COVERAGE FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION: A CASE OF KENYA’S NATION MEDIA GROUP
    (TUC, 2024-03-20) GITAU ANNIE
    The social transformation of media houses' consumers, and eventually of their nations, is important. They encourage and direct national discourse on these topics from the grassroots of homes in the community to the offices of those in power by shedding light on challenges impacting society. But for this to happen, journalists should ideally operate in an environment free of pointless restrictions. Journalists regrettably have to deal with a constantly contracting field of operation because of, among other constraints, editorial regulations. This study's goal was to investigate how editorial guidelines affected media outlets' portrayal of Kenya's socioeconomic development. with reference to the NMG which has two major departments: print and broadcasting. Print focuses on all published newspapers, while broadcasting incorporates television, radio and social media. The study focused largely on the print area. The specific objectives of the study were to: examine the effects of editorial policies on demand for comprehensive research on the coverage of news in the print and social media channels in Kenya; investigate the effects of editorial policies on choice of words on the coverage of news in print and social media channels in Kenya and; determine the extent to which policies on requirement for geographical responsive news affects the coverage of news in print and social media channels in Kenya. The study adopted the Gatekeeping Theory, Priming Theory, Agenda Setting Theory and Political Economy Theory. A mixed methods approach combining both quantitative and qualitative research was employed for this study. The population was 110 participants and the sample size was 66 comprising journalists 36, editors 15 and 15 sub-editors purposively selected. Both questionnaires and interviews were utilized to gather data, and the outcomes were visualized using tables and figures. To examine relationships among variables and predict media house news coverage based on independent factors, statistical analyses such as Pearson correlation and multiple regression were employed. Content analysis was applied to the interview data and document analysis on NMG's editorial guidelines. The results revealed that the NMG's Editorial Policy Guidelines reflect a commitment to journalistic integrity, independence, social responsibility, and continuous improvement. The study also noted that journalists operate within set editorial norms in media organizations, influencing their ability to acquire, develop, and circulate news. Consequently, some news stories may be omitted, diminishing media's potential to support societal change. Given the interplay between editorial policies and social media's impact, a re evaluation of gatekeeping and editorial guidelines is imperative. Additionally, the study highlighted the influence of editorial policies on societal change in Kenya, as media shapes social capital and individual perceptions. While media heightens public awareness, the study indicated variations in the NMG's coverage of news across print and social media platforms, thereby impacting their role in social transformation. Recommendations include refining editorial policies to encompass news with transformative potential. Moreover, print media should clarify and expand word choice guidelines to eliminate ambiguity and foster social change. On geographical reach, the print media should give pre-eminence to societal issues irrespective of the location. They should emphasize on covering issues of societal importance which could go on to contribute to social transformation