The Impact of Political Media Contest on Voter Behaviour in Embu County
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THE IMPACT OF POLITICAL MEDIA CONTEST ON VOTER BEHAVIOUR IN EMBU COUNTY BY MARTIN MWANJE K50/82146/2015 SUPERVISOR: DR. ELIAS MOKUA A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI OCTOBER 2017 DECLARATION Declaration by the candidate This research project is my original work and has not, to the best of my knowledge, been presented anywhere by any other candidate for the award of a Masters Degree. No part of this thesis should therefore be produced in whatever form without the prior knowledge of the author. Martin Mwanje K50/82146/2015 Signature…………………………….. Date……………………….. Declaration by the Supervisor This research project has been submitted with my approval as the candidate‟s supervisor ……………………………… …………………………….. Dr. Elias Mokua (Supervisor) Date ii DEDICATION To my God-given elixir and lovely wife Millicent Chibire, and amazing daughter Yolande Pendo iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for seeing me through this fastidious research work: were it not for his mercies that endure forever, this study could not have come to fruition. I also owe my Supervisor, Dr. Elias Mokua, immense gratitude, especially for his patience, and for tolerating me during the entire period of the study. I can‟t even recall the numerous times I knocked at his door: inquisitively seeking guidance over what the next step of my research work entailed. Yet, instead of giving up, he joyously guided me through the process, while whispering to me all manner of words of encouragement and whose echoes I vividly recall: you will make it Martin. Much appreciated Daktari! To all the 12 informants who, out of their busy schedules, spared their time to pour their insights out during the study, I equally owe you immense gratitude, just like I do for the 80 respondents who combed through my 5-paged Questionnaire, and responded to all the questions asked to my satisfaction. May God shower you with his blessings. To my good friends Danstan Omari and Sam Kariuki: I will forever be indebted to you for supporting me not only morally but also financially, whenever I needed you most in my pursuit for higher education. To my family, my parents Silvanus Ambani Mwanje and Rose Nafuna Mwanje, and to my brothers and sisters, Chris, Augustine, Mary and Petronila, I say thank you for giving me the impetus to aim at the stars, when it was glaringly obvious the future looked threateningly desolate. To my spouse Millicent Chibire and daughter Yolande Pendo, once again I say a BIG thank you for bearing with me for the time I left you to wonder and wander in loneliness, as I combed through countless voluminous books and journals from which my study obtained credence. It was for a worthy cause! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ v ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. ix ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background to the study ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the problem .......................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Objectives of the study.............................................................................................................. 6 1.4 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 7 1.5 Theoretical framework .............................................................................................................. 7 1.6 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 7 1.7 Justification of the study ........................................................................................................... 8 1.8 Significance of the study ........................................................................................................... 8 1.9 Scope and limitation of the study.............................................................................................. 9 1.10 Definition of terms ................................................................................................................ 10 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................ 11 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 11 2.0 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 11 2.1 Political media contest and voter behaviour ........................................................................... 11 v 2.2 The value of news media to antagonists.............................................................................. 12 2.3 The independence of the news media ................................................................................. 14 2.4.1 Political Contest Theory ............................................................................................... 19 2.4.2 Political processes and their influence on the news media ........................................... 19 2.4.3 Authorities‟ level of control over the political environment ........................................ 20 2.4.4 The role of the news media in political conflicts .......................................................... 21 2.4.5 Antagonists and media dimensions .............................................................................. 22 2.4.6 Prospects of challengers overcoming media coverage obstacles ................................. 22 2.4.7 Theoretical framework: Political Media Contest and Public Opinion ......................... 22 2.4.8 Assumption of political media contest theory .............................................................. 25 2.4.9 Criticism of the theory .................................................................................................. 25 2.4.10 Summary of the Literature Review ............................................................................ 25 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................... 27 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 27 3.0 Overview ................................................................................................................................. 27 3.1 Research design ...................................................................................................................... 27 3.3 Population and Sampling ........................................................................................................ 28 3.3. 1 Target Population ........................................................................................................ 28 3.3.2 Sampling ....................................................................................................................... 30 3.4 Data Collection Instruments ................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1 Content Analysis........................................................................................................... 31 3.4.2 Key Informant Interviews ............................................................................................. 31 3.4.3 Research Questionnaires............................................................................................... 32 3.5 Research Site and Time Frame ............................................................................................... 33 3.6 Reliability and Validity of the Instrument .............................................................................. 34 vi 3.7 Data Analysis and Presentation .............................................................................................. 34 3.8 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................................. 34 CHAPTER FOUR 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