The representation of intimate partner violence: an analysis of mainstream newspapers in Kenya (2016-2020)

Abstract

Mainstream newspapers have been criticized for routinely failing to represent intimate partner violence (IPV) in constructive ways. That means the problem of IPV is often presented shallowly as a series of isolated crime incidents without any social connections. Some previous studies- primarily focusing on broadcast media-have shown that the media can perpetuate inaccurate ideas about IPV, while others show improvements in coverage. There is, however, little research on how mainstream Kenyan newspapers represent the reality of IPV. As a result, this study purposed to analyse the representation of IPV by The Daily Nation, The Standard, and The Star from 2016 to 2020. The study’s objectives were to: analyse ways in which IPV was represented, explore the factors that accounted for the representation, and understand wider emerging meanings. Relatedly, the research questions inquired how the three newspapers represented IPV, the factors that accounted for such representation and emerging wider meanings. Philosophically, the research was informed by pragmatism employing a convergent parallel mixed methods design. Overall, the study was based on framing theory but augmented by critical feminist theory. The inquiry did not, however, look at the effects of framing on audiences, but the potency of the implications of framing through IPV message presentation. Whether or not the audiences are aware and the effects of framing on audiences was beyond the scope of this study. The content analysis results were presented in percentages, figures, and tables, followed by semi-structured interviews that were thematically analysed. From a target population of 5,475 newspaper editions, a search in the mainstream newspaper websites yielded 1,080 editions from which 70 editions containing IPV reports were selected for analysis through constructed week sampling. Nine journalists and three editors comprised the 12 participants who were purposively selected for interviews. Findings indicate that mainstream Kenyan newspapers often report IPV using episodic and murder-centric frames with catchy phrases and metaphors which tend to present IPV as discrete, isolated victim-blaming incidents. Second, despite newspaper reporters’ and editors’ best efforts to report IPV constructively, they are mainly constrained by market demands to sell copy, internal and external legal imperatives coupled with a lack of specific IPV reporting guidelines. Third, the findings also show that in subtle ways, newspaper reports not only excuse perpetrators but also perpetuate myths and stereotypes about IPV thus potentially inhibiting potent and constructive IPV messaging. IPV representation does not only excuse perpetrators but also perpetuates myths and stereotypes surrounding the issue. Such a representation inhibits the potency of IPV messaging. The study, therefore recommends that besides ‘featurising’ IPV reports, and incorporating more experts as sources, specific IPV reporting guidelines should be developed to facilitate potent and constructive IPV representation.