This study analysed the coverage of bond notes by Newsday and The Herald between November 2016 and August 2017. Qualitative research design was employed. The research instruments included archival collection, content analysis and interviews. Interviews were used to back up the research findings of content analysis. The research population comprised of online archived newspaper articles from The Herald and Newsday between November 2016 and August 2017 which were purposively sampled. Media academics and journalists from Newsday and The Herald were also conveniently sampled so as to support research findings from content analysis.
This study found out that the public and private wrestled for attention on setting perceptions in their coverage of bond notes, showing their biases. The Herald is more pro-government while the Newsday is accused of being pro-opposition and by being so, contrasting discourse emerged from these two publications. In this research, it was also found out that patterns of the media control, bias, and partisanship influenced what could be reported on bond notes. The Newsday painted a negative view of bond notes between December 2016 and August 2017.
The findings reveal that the Newsday launched an attack on the government’s introduction of bond notes, condemning them as a consequential failure. The private media portrayed bond notes as failure by the government to properly address cash crisis and also framed them as causing despondency, chaos and anarchy and the return of 2008 era of economic hardship. On the other hand, The Herald focused on justifying the significance of bond notes while defending their weaknesses. It is recommended that the Print media in Zimbabwe should desist from bias and their reportage of issues should reflect a high level impartiality, objectivity, truthfulness and fairness.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.4 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.7 ASSUMPTIONS
1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH
1.9 DELIMITATION OF RESEARCH
1.10 LIMITATIONS AND MITIGATIONS
1.11 DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.12 CHAPTER SUMMARY
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.3 PRINT MEDIA AND ITS ROLES
2.4 ECONOMIC REPORTING
2.5 GENRES USED FOR ECONOMIC REPORTING
2.6 BOND NOTES
2.7 CASE STUDIES
2.7.1 ECONOMIC REPORTING IN ETHIOPIA
2.7.2 PORTRAYAL OF SWEDISH ECONOMIC CRISIS
2.8 CHAPTER SUMMARY
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH
3.4 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.5 POPULATION OF THE STUDY
3.6 SAMPLING
3.6.1 PURPOSIVE SAMPLING
3.6.2 CONVENIENCE SAMPLING
3.7 RESEARCH INSTRUNMENTS
3.7.1 ARCHIVAL COLLECTION
3.7.2 CONTENT ANALYSIS
3.7.3 INTERVIEWS
3.8 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
3.9. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
3.10 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
3.11 CHAPTER SUMMARY
CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 HOW BOND NOTES WERE FRAMED BY THE HERALD AND NEWSDAY
4.2.1 ANALYSIS OF SAMPLED ARTICLES: NEWSDAY VERSUS THE HERALD
4.2.2 DISCUSSION
4.3 WHO WERE NEWS SOURCES ON THE REPORTAGE OF BOND NOTES
4.4 HOW CONTRASTING DISCOURSE EMERGED FROM NEWSDAY AND THE HERALD ON BOND NOTES
4.5 VIEWS OF ACADEMICS ON THE FRAMING OF BOND NOTES
4.6 VIEWS OF JOURNALISTS ON THE FRAMING OF BOND NOTES
4.7 CHAPTER SUMMARY
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 SUMMARY
5.3 CONCLUSION
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS
5.5 DIRECTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
Research Objectives and Topics
This study aims to investigate how bond notes were portrayed in the Zimbabwean print media between November 2016 and August 2017, specifically examining the contrasting framing strategies employed by the state-owned newspaper, The Herald, and the private newspaper, Newsday.
- Analysis of media framing theory within the context of economic reporting.
- Comparative examination of the editorial stances of The Herald and Newsday regarding the introduction of bond notes.
- Evaluation of news sourcing patterns and their impact on media objectivity and bias.
- Exploration of how contrasting media discourses shape public perception during economic crises.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.1 ANALYSIS OF SAMPLED ARTICLES: NEWSDAY VERSUS THE HERALD
Chaos rocks bond notes introduction. (Newsday 29 November 2016). Nation embraces bond notes. (The Herald 29 November 2016)
In its reportage, a day after bond notes were injected into the market, the Newsday framed that there was chaos as the shops and public providers refuse to accept bond notes because they were not aware of security features and they did not want to risk receiving fake notes. In the articles published under the headline, “Chaos rocks bond notes introduction” published on the 29th of November 2016, the Newsday through story angle and headline famed that there was chaos on the introduction of bond notes as many were rejecting bond notes. On the other hand, The Herald under the story headed, “Nation embraces bond notes” framed that bond notes were widely accepted throughout the country and accused opposition group and organisations with Western parentage of the attempt to discredit them. The Herald gave a positive framing by reporting that people from all towns like Masvingo, Bulawayo and many had endorsed and wanted to give the new currency a chance. The state media also framed the bond notes as only solution to the cash shortage in the country.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides the background on Zimbabwe's economic history leading to the introduction of bond notes and outlines the purpose, objectives, and research questions of the study.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter explores existing theories on media framing, the roles of print media, and previous case studies regarding economic reporting to provide a theoretical basis for the research.
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the qualitative research design, sampling methods (purposive and convenience), and data collection techniques, including archival collection and interviews.
CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION: This chapter presents the comparative analysis of news articles from The Herald and Newsday, examining how contrasting discourses were constructed through specific framing techniques and news sources.
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, offers final conclusions on media bias and control, and proposes recommendations for more balanced economic reporting.
Keywords
Bond notes, Media framing, Zimbabwe, The Herald, Newsday, Economic reporting, Discourse analysis, Media bias, Print media, Agenda setting, Economic crisis, Qualitative research, Media ownership, Editorial policy, Public perception
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research study?
The study focuses on analyzing the media coverage of the introduction of bond notes in Zimbabwe by two specific print newspapers, The Herald and Newsday, between November 2016 and August 2017.
What are the primary themes addressed in the work?
The central themes include media framing theory, the impact of media ownership on editorial policy, the role of print media in shaping public opinion during economic hardship, and the emergence of contrasting discourses in state versus private media.
What is the main objective of the research?
The primary objective is to examine how bond notes were framed by the two publications, identify the news sources used, and analyze the contrasting discourses that resulted from their different reporting styles.
Which scientific methodology does the researcher utilize?
The research employs a qualitative research design, utilizing content analysis of archival newspaper articles and semi-structured interviews with media academics and journalists to back up the findings.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical framework of framing theory, the methodology used to analyze the newspaper articles, the comparative presentation of news articles, and a detailed discussion on news sources and the emergence of contrasting discourses.
Which keywords define this study?
Key terms include Bond notes, Media framing, Zimbabwe, The Herald, Newsday, Economic reporting, Discourse analysis, and Media bias.
How does the ownership of the newspapers influence their reporting?
The study concludes that ownership is a critical factor: The Herald, controlled by the government-linked Zimpapers group, adopted a defensive, pro-government stance, while the private-owned Newsday frequently used negative frames to criticize government economic policies.
What is the conclusion regarding the impact of these media frames?
The research concludes that the contrasting framing by these two publications did not just reflect different opinions, but actively deepened divisions among the general public regarding the acceptance and effectiveness of bond notes.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Gerald Jonga (Autor:in), 2019, The Coverage of bond notes by the newspapers "Newsday" and "The Herald", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/510368
