Browsing by Author "Omondi, Clarice Atieno"

The function of the media to shape agenda in society has generated interest in many spheres of study. Media discourse is thought to be an integral factor in the coexistence of heterogeneous societies. The discourse in media can foster peace or ethnic conflicts. Studies focusing on newspaper discourse and ethnic conflicts have not been exhaustive. This paper presents the findings of an assessment on the ways through which media discourse may ignite or escalate ethnic conflicts. The analysis focuses on online newspaper editorials in Kenya. The study evaluates three newspapers: The Daily Nation, The Standard and The Star. The papers appear both online and in hard copy. The study analyses editorials from these newspapers between the year 2010 to 2016 using the theoretical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis postulated by Fairclough, Van Djik and Wodak. The study analyses the use of attributive words referring to certain ethnic communities while discussing issues affecting ethnic coexistence. A total of twenty articles are analyzed and the results indicate that The Star and The Standard newspapers adopted neutral and peace journalism which emphasizes harmonious and peaceful coexistence, whereas The Nation newspaper was found to publish opinions in a language that could inflame ethnic tensions. Most of the columns analyzed were found to be sensational, sometimes outrightly putting blames on one ethnic community, in effect creating the ’’otherness’’ and victimization. However, there was a patchwork of peace journalism in the paper. This journalism was dwarfed by the other many articles that preached hatred. The Standard and the Star newspapers mostly had columns that reasoned out with readers on the importance of analyzing issues using objectivity as opposed to ethnic prisms. The pattern of this tone was consistent in the Star Newspaper. In the Standard Newspaper, this pattern was interrupted with one article that sought to portray one community as oppressive against other Kenyans. The implication of the findings is that if the tone of discussion in online newspaper media platform is not regulated, it could lead to situations that may ignite and escalate ethnic conflicts because these discussions can influence the thoughts and perceptions of people. The discourse as used by The Nation Newspaper can agitate communities to fight against one another. The findings also imply that online newspapers can be strong instruments for fostering peace and tranquility in the community. The study has suggested that future research should expand the tools of data collection and analysis. This should include the use of tools like interview guides and questionnaires. The editorial policies of publishing houses should also be points of focus in future studies.