Examining the Perceptions of Readers on the Contribution of the Daily Nation’s Peace Messages to the 2013 Elections in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of readers on the contribution of the Daily Nation’s peace messages to the 2013 elections in Kenya. The study relied on descriptive research design, which is a design in qualitative research and premised on Agenda Setting theory by Mc Combs and Donald Shaw. The study population consisted of respondents from four marked newspaper-vending points within Nakuru town and the selected contents from the Nation newspapers. These newspapers carried messages advocating for peace between the periods of February and April 2013. Purposive sampling was used to choose newspaper contents with peace messages and to select newspaper readers in Nakuru town. Focused Group Discussions and Interviews were used as research instruments. Content and textual analysis was the primary form of data analysis in the study. Research findings showed that Nation newspapers carried peace messages in news and feature stories, editorials, opinion and advertisements. The conclusions of the study show that although media experts and scholars accused the media of ‘indulging' in peace advocacy and forgetting their watchdog role, the respondents praised the role media played in ensuring after-poll calm, peaceful coexistence and tolerance. Key Terms: elections, newspapers peace reporting, perception