Newspaper coverage of sustainable development goal (SDG) four-a qualitative content analysis of the front- page news stories in the daily graphic

Abstract

This study examined the newspaper coverage of ssustainable development goal (SDG) four in the Daily Graphic from 2016 to 2020. The study investigated the attention the newspaper attaches to stories on SDG Four, determined how journalists framed the news stories on SDG Four, and investigated the factors within the organisation that influenced the publication of SDG Four stories on the front-page of the Daily Graphic. The agenda setting and framing theories underpinned the study. To achieve the objectives of the study, qualitative content analysis was used to gather data for the study. An interview was also used to gather additional data to validate findings from the content analysis. Thematic analysis was used in handling the data, especially in coming up with the themes and corresponding frames with regard to the focus of the study. The results showed that political issues rather than education continued to dominate the front page of the newspaper. However, the rate of attention given to politics reduced compared with previous studies. Education issues also ranked highly in terms of appearance on the front-page, use of enhancement features and headline type. The five dominant themes from the analysis are accountability, affordability, inclusiveness, innovation and sustainability. The study concluded that the Daily Graphic had a more positive angle to reporting SDG Four stories and recommends the setting up of a dedicated desk in the newsroom to facilitate SDG reporting. The study will create awareness on the relevance of the print media in setting a favourable agenda on the SDGs and help policy makers to revise their communication strategies for achieving the goal. It will also enrich literature on the SDGs.