Newspaper agendas and public opinion in the 2007 Kenyan presidential election

This study investigates the role of local newspapers in the 2007 presidential election in Kenya, East Africa. Agenda setting provided the theoretical framework for the study, which content-analysed two major newspapers in the country. A survey of registered voters was also conducted and the result compared with election-related news items published in the newspapers during the election campaign period. The major finding showed a high and positive correlation (on the first and second levels of agenda setting) between what the newspapers highlighted as major issues in the election, and what the voters identified as their main concerns. It also showed how the candidates were framed in the newspapers and voters’ perceptions of the presidential contenders.