IMPACT OF EDITORIAL POLICIES ON NEWS COVERAGE FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION: A CASE OF KENYA’S NATION MEDIA GROUP
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Date
2024-03-20
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Publisher
TUC
Abstract
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