Media Framing of Political Instability and its Impact on Developmental Policies in West Africa
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study explored the media framing of political instability in West Africa and its consequent impact on developmental policies. The media’s role in shaping public perceptions of political events was investigated, revealing that the portrayal of instability often influences the policy-making process. By employing a qualitative analysis of various media sources, the study examined how narratives around political unrest affect public opinion and government responses. The findings indicated that sensationalised media coverage exacerbate fear surrounding instability, leading to reactive policy measures rather than proactive strategies for development. Moreover, the research highlighted the interplay between media representations and governance, demonstrating how the framing of instability not only reflects societal anxieties but also shapes the political landscape. The study concluded that a more responsible media approach is essential for fostering informed public discourse and promoting sustainable development in the region
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors hold the copyright of all published articles except otherwise stated.
References
Adebanwi, W. (2014). Nigeria’s media and the politics of crisis: A historical
perspective. In M. E. Olorunyomi & W. Adebanwi (Eds.), Media, politics,
and development in Nigeria (pp. 27-50). Routledge.
Aning, K., & Egbe, M. (2017). The media’s role in framing national security in West
Africa. African Security Review, 26(1), 1-16.
Bennett, L. W. (2012). The media and political conflict: A multidisciplinary approach.
In D. A. McQuail (Ed.), McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory (7th ed., pp.
-435). Sage Publications.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative
Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal
of Communication, 43(4), 51-58.
Gamson, W. A., & Modigliani, A. (1989). Media discourse and public opinion on
nuclear power: A constructionist approach. American Sociological Review,
(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095613.
Harlow, S. & Harp, D. (2012). Collective action on the web: A case study of the
political uses of social media in the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Journal of
Communication, 62(2), 268-290. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-
2012.01627.x
Jaye, T. (2016). Media, governance, and development in West Africa. African
Development Review, 28(1), 59-71.
Kaye, B. K., & Johnson, T. J. (2020). The challenge of political communication in
the age of social media: Implications for the future of democracy.
Communication Research, 47(4), 553-576. https://doi.org/10.1177/
McCombs, M., & Shaw, D. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media.
Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176-187. https://doi.org/10.1086/267990.
McLeod, D. M., Hmielowski, J. D., & Gastil, J. (2011). The interplay of framing and
political communication in the Arab Spring. International Journal of Press/
Politics, 16(4), 481-502.
Rein, M., & Schön, D. (1993). Reframing policy discourse. In F. W. Fischer & J.
Forester (Eds.), The argumentative turn in policy analysis (pp. 145-166).
Duke University Press.
Scheufele, D. A., & Tewksbury, D. (2007). Framing, agenda setting, and priming:
The evolution of three media effects models. Journal of Communication,
(1), 9-20.
Seymour, L. (2017). Media representations and their impact on international aid to
West Africa. Development in Practice, 27(5), 652-666.
Williams, A. (2016). Reporting conflict: Ethical dilemmas in the coverage of war and
crisis. Journalism Ethics, 11(2), 184-195. https://doi.org/10.1080/
2016.1156767.
Zuckerman, E. (2015). Media and the International Response to Political Violence.
In A. H. D. Islam (Ed.), Political Violence in the Modern World (pp. 134-151).
Routledge.