Media coverage of major infrastructural projects

Abstract

This paper examines the role of the media in portraying infrastructure projects in Kenya. The paper analyses print media and more specifically the main newspapers in Kenya- The Nation newspapers and The Standard newspapers published in a period of one calendar year; between January 1st 2014 and December 31st 2014.To establish which stories fall into infrastructure and related categories, the researchers identified keywords that were found in the story. These were transport, power, building and construction, telecommunication and water and sanitation. In order to understand how The Nation and The Standard newspapers primed infrastructure information. The paper looked at article placement, type of story, tone, article size, theme of article, focus, function and article prominence. It also looked at captions and graphics use. The research found that both newspapers had most of articles on infrastructure published in the inner pages leaving prime pages for other news, especially politics. Major infrastructure stories found their space on the cover page only when the President made a public address especially during Kenya’s public holidays. The study also found out that that infrastructure theme that was mostly covered was transport even as most of issues came from the government and the media only reported events as they unfolded-reactive reporting. In-depth analysis of infrastructure issues was not given emphasis. The reporters tended to only answer the elements of news; the 5Ws and H only. The impacts of the stories were not stressed nor were there investigative pieces on the subject. More space of prominence needs to be allocated to infrastructural development issues.