An assessment of objectivity in news sourcing in Habari Leo and Mwananchi newspapers during the 2015 general elections.
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Date
2018
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
The overall purpose of this study was to assess objectivity in political news sourcing because the influence of news sources on independence of journalistic judgements presents a serious subject. The 2015 general election mass media coverage offered an opportunity to study journalistic judgements focusing on how objectively they sourced news. Data were collected through content analysis and interview methods. The study analysed 704 news stories published on the first three pages of Habari Leo and Mwananchi newspapers. The analysis involved 330 news items published in HabariLeo and 374 in Mwananchi newspapers over a period of 70 days from election campaign commencement to results announcements. Only news stories published during 70 days of general election campaigns were taken into account. Also the study interviewed 8 journalists, 2 newspaper editors and 5 media studies experts. The findings suggest that print media missed to dispassionately source the 2015 general election coverage. Habari Leo by 30.60% was behind Mwananchi by 57.7% for publishing objectively sourced news stories. The findings also indicate news sourcing in main sources, age wise, gender wise and places of story origin; subjectivity was detected in the assessed hard news articles. Though some political news stories were commendable as they represented sources’ viewpoints, at large media parroted voices from sources with only simple analysis, lacked own initiatives and thus missed to present issues over politicians. Despite the positive presentation of news sources print media missed to eliminate all elements of negativities. Worse, personalities dominated rather than themes (issues). Thus it was not difficult to make effectively.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF PN4751.T34N435)
Keywords
Newspapers, Objectivity, Mass communication, Habari leo and mwananchi, Newspapers during the 2015 general elections, Elections, Tanzania
Citation
Ngabo, E. (2018). An assessment of objectivity in news sourcing in Habari Leo and Mwananchi newspapers during the 2015 general elections. Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.