Candidate Representation and Media Biases in Tanzania

Authors

  • Kaanaeli Bariki Kaale St. Augustine University of Tanzania

Keywords:

election news coverage, candidates’ visibility, media ownership, news biases

Abstract

The promises of democracy in Tanzania underscore a wide range hopes for the nation, notably with regard to media freedom and freedom of speech. However,  the intensifying privatization of the media that has characterized the last two decades of Tanzania’s emerging democracy has shifted the focus of professional journalists towards high-impact coverage of known government officials (Schudson, 2008), narrowing the breadth of news and political coverage. The agenda-setting effect of this kind of journalism reflects the often biased interests of media shareholders (McCombs & Shaw, 1972) and also affects the visibility of political candidates, hindering just and fair representation in the electoral process. This study used qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the election news coverage in six Swahili mainstream newspapers to examine the relationship between newspaper election coverage and voting outcomes in Tanzania’s 2010 Presidential election. The newspapers were studied during the three months just prior to the Tanzania Presidential election of 2010. The results of this analysis reveal some major shortcomings of electoral media coverage, including prevalent biases and uneven representation.  In addition, there appears to be a significant relationship between newspaper election coverage and voting outcomes.

 

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Author Biography

Kaanaeli Bariki Kaale, St. Augustine University of Tanzania

Ms. Kaanaeli Kaale is a PhD student studying Mass Communication at St. Augustine University of Tanzania. Her PhD thesis is focused on Media and Democracy.She is keen to use her knowledge and skills to enhance effective journalism in Tanzania. She is a founding chairperson of the Tanzania Media and Youth Development Association and Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the Royal College of Tanzania. Ms. Kaale has 10 years working experience as an editor and senior feature’s writer in leading private and government media companies.  She is also a columnist for gender issues at Habari Leo Newspaper. Her writing focuses on human rights issues aimed at promoting women and youth development, and rights for children, elders and people with disabilities. She is interested in using her knowledge and experience in media to make a positive contribution towards effectively using journalism to promote stronger democracies. She believes that promoting democracy and making leaders accountable are the best ways of fighting poverty and promoting gender equity and human rights.

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Published

2013-09-26

How to Cite

Kaale, K. B. (2013). Candidate Representation and Media Biases in Tanzania. index.Comunicación, 3(2), 83–112. Retrieved from https://indexcomunicacion.es/index.php/indexcomunicacion/article/view/90

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2013): New(?) African Communication Environment

Section

Articles

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