Textual Meanings of the Representation of Intimate Partner Violence by the Kenyan Press

Abstract

This article is a textual analysis of the representation of the political, economic and social contexts of intimate partner violence by the Kenyan press. The article argues that the Kenyan press presents a stereotypical and sensational view of intimate partner violence. Although the violence was overly presented as a problem afflicting women, such coverage was to some degree merited in the face of existing evidence showing that it affects more women than men. However, this coverage should also be reflective of the extent to which the public discourse agrees with such a perspective given similar reports of female perpetrated violence in the country. The article examines the headlines, photographs, captions and cartoons used to represent the contexts of the violence. It also analyses the metaphors, analogies and intertexts in selected stories to thematically unpack their meanings. The representation of intimate partner violence using the textual forms connote the existence of a problematic gendered situation in Kenya. The textual analysis of the representation shows that for intimate partner violence to be alleviated in Kenya, women should be empowered.