Abstract:
This study examinedhow the Daily Graphicand the Daily Guide framed the coverage of
the electoral processes leading to the 2012 general elections in Ghana. The
communication theories of agenda setting and framing were used to conduct the study.
Media coverage of the electoral processes leading to elections are of critical relevance in
determining the outcome and acceptance of election results and that is why this research
seeks to analyze how the media covered the framing of the electoral processes of training
of election officials, voter education, demarcation, registration, exhibition, transfer of
votes and filing of nominationsin Ghana during the period leading to the 2012 elections.
A total of 3,559 paragraphs was analyzed in both newspapers for this study. Through
content analysis, the study showed that registration was the electoral process that
received the most coverage in both newspapers. The study also found out thatnine frames
were used by both the Daily Graphic and the Daily Guide to frame the electoral
processes and out of these nine frames, seven frames were used to frame the registration
process alone. The study also revealed that both newspapers focused much of their
attention on the registration process to the neglect of the other processes hereby setting
the agenda for the public to see registration as the most important of all the processes.
Again, the study revealed that whiles the Daily Graphic took an informative stance most
of the times in its coverage of the electoral processes, the Daily Guide tend to
sensationalize its coverage of these electoral processes.Finally, the study showed that
both newspapers did not only tell the electorate the electoral processes that are important
but also subtly influenced the general public’s perception of the electoral processes by the
use of frames.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA
STUDIES, FACULTY OF LANGUAGES EDUCATION, SUBMITTED TO
THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF
EDUCATION, WINNEBA,IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE MASTER OF
PHILOSOPHY IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES (MEDIA
STUDIES) DEGREE.
JULY, 2015