![Sample our Area Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5922/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Area-Studies.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Domestic journalists covering Kenya’s 2013 General Election worked in an exceptionally challenging media environment; one which was significantly shaped by the 2007 election and post-election violence (PEV). Rooted in literature on peace journalism (PJ), we examine how the PEV of Kenya’s 2007 presidential elections informed and shaped journalists’ practice around the 2013 Kenyan General Election. The article is based on qualitative interviews with 16 Kenyan print journalists and editors at the Daily Nation and Standard newspapers as well as interviews with 6 Kenyan media specialists. Our analysis finds the 2007 PEV significantly constrained journalistic practice in three ways: first, journalists witnessed violence in 2007 which anchored their 2013 coverage; second, interviewees felt a ‘collective guilt’ at journalism’s failure to provide responsible coverage in 2007 creating a ‘culture of restraint’ and third, journalists felt compelled to ‘sanitize’ potentially inflammatory language creating a tension between journalists’ duty to inform and strong desire to avoid contributing to conflict. This article concludes by siding with a growing critical chorus of PJ scholars critiquing its often “individualist” approach and calling for greater attention towards structural factors such as perceived social constraints when conceptualizing and theorizing the agency of journalists working in post conflict environments.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Kriegler, Independent Review Commission, 99–100.
2. Mwangi and Bwire, “Peace Journalism Gaining Root”.
3. ICG, “Policy Briefing,” 10.
4. Mwangi and Bwire, “Peace Journalism Gaining Root”.
5. Hanitzsch, “Journalists as Peacekeeping Force?,” 492.
6. Jackson and Sorensen, “Social Constructivism,” 165.
7. Kvale, Interviews, 124.
8. Mayoux, “Qualitative”.
9. Media Council of Kenya, Status of Media.
10. Willis, “Interviewing”.
11. See Appendix 2.
12. See Appendix 1.
13. Attride-Stirling, “Thematic Networks”.
14. Kagwanja and Southall, “Democracy in Retreat?”
15. Kanyinga, “Stopping a Conflagration”.
16. Ibid., 90.
17. Kanyinga, “Stopping a Conflagration”.
18. Ibid.
19. Cheeseman, “The Kenyan Elections”.
20. Boru Halakhe, R2P in Practice.
21. Kanyinga, “Stopping a Conflagration”.
22. Boru Halakhe, R2P in Practice, 5.
23. Kriegler, Independent Review Commission, 3.
24. Ojwang, “Semantics of Peace,” 28.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Nyanjom, Factually True.
28. Interview on 10 February 2014
29. Rambaud, “Information and Condemnation,” 85.
30. Obonyo and Fackler, “Media Education Paradigm ,” 14.
31. Ibid., 22.
32. Rambaud, “Information and Condemnation”.
33. Ojwang, “Semantics of Peace”.
34. Onyebadi and Oyedeji, “Newspaper Coverage of Post Political Election Violence,” 222.
35. Obonyo and Fackler, “Media Education Paradigm,” 22.
36. Rambaud, “Information and Condemnation”.
37. Boru Halakhe, R2P in Practice.
38. ICG, “Policy Briefing”.
39. ICG, “Policy Briefing,” 37.
40. ICG, “Policy Briefing”.
41. NMG, Editorial Policy, 7.
42. NMG, Editorial Policy, 8.
43. Media Council of Kenya, Guidelines for Election Coverage.
44. Media Council Act, Code of Conduct.
45. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies,” 2.
46. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies”.
47. Ross, “(De)constructing Conflict”.
48. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies,” 1.
49. Ross, “(De)constructing Conflict”.
50. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies,” 3.
51. Onyebadi and Oyedeji, “Newspaper Coverage of Post Political Election Violence,” 215.
52. Obonyo and Fackler, “Media Education Paradigm,” 4.
53. Ibid., 2.
54. Shoemaker and Reese, Mediating the Message, 31.
55. Peleg, “Through the Lens,” 1.
56. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies”.
57. Loyn, “Good Journalism,” 3.
58. Kempf, “Tightrope”.
59. Lynch and McGoldrick, Peace Journalism, 242.
60. Ross, “(De)constructing Conflict,” 12.
61. Lynch and McGoldrick, Peace Journalism, 5.
62. Lynch, “Peace Journalism Discontents”.
63. Lynch and McGoldrick, Peace Journalism.
64. Shinar, “State of the Art,” 2.
65. Howard, “State of the Art,” 3.
66. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies,” 7.
67. Hoffman, “Common Commitment,” v.
68. Shoemaker and Reese, Mediating the Message.
69. Lynch and McGoldrick, Peace Journalism.
70. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies,” 5.
71. Ibid., 1.
72. Hyde-Clarke, “Theoretical Discussion”.
73. Kempf, “Tightrope”.
74. Hyde-Clarke, “Theoretical Discussion,” 26.
75. Hackett, “Peace Journalism Possible?”.
76. Lynch, “Peace Journalism Feasible?”.
77. Hanitzsch, “Journalists as Peacekeeping Force?,” 492.
78. Shoemaker and Reese, Mediating the Message, 214.
79. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies,” 7.
80. Betz, “Holistic Framework,” 4.
81. Shoemaker and Reese, Mediating the Message.
82. Betz, “Holistic Framework”; Bläsi, “Implementing Peace”; and Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies”.
83. Hanitzsch, “Journalism Studies”.
84. Bläsi, “Implementing Peace,” 1–2.
85. Bläsi, “Implementing Peace”.
86. Ogola, “Political Economy,” 77.
87. Ogola, “Crossroads,” 64.
88. Ogola, “Political Economy”.
89. Media Council of Kenya, Status of Media, 29.
90. Interview on 31 January 2014.
91. Galava, “Watchdogs”.
92. Interview on 11 March 2014.
93. Interview on 12 February 2014.
94. Ibid.
95. Simiyu, “Media Ownership,” 130.
96. Interview on 1 April 2014.
97. Interview on 21 February 2014.
98. Interview on 11 March 2014.
99. Interview on 21 February 2014.
100. Interview on 31 January 2014.
101. Interview on 26 February 2014.
102. Ibid.
103. Galava, “Watchdogs”.
104. Interview on 21 February 2014.
105. Ibid.
106. Interview on 3 February 2014.
107. Interview on 26 February 2014.
108. Interview on 24 February 2014.
109. Interview on 13 February 2014.
110. Interview on 11 April 2014.
111. Rambaud, “Information and Condemnation”.
112. Ojwang, “Semantics of Peace,” 23.
113. Interview on 19 March 2014.
114. Interview on 11 March 2014.
115. Interview on 24 February 2014.
116. Ibid.
117. Interview on 8 February 2014.
118. Interview on 19 March 2014.
119. Ibid.
120. Interview on 28 February 2014.
121. Interview on 24 February 2014.
122. Interview on 19 March 2014.
123. Interview on 13 February 2014.
124. Interview on 10 February 2014.
125. Interview on 31 January 2014.
126. Interview on 6 February 2014.
127. Interview on 21 February 2014.
128. Interview on 1 April 2014.
129. Interview on 15 February 2014.
130. Interview on 19 March 2014.
131. Interview on 28 February 2014.
132. Bland, “Measuring the Quality,” 141.
133. Interview on 8 February 2014.
134. Interview on 24 February 2014.
135. Interview on 8 February 2014.
136. Peleg, “Defense of Peace Journalism,” 4.
137. Lynch and McGoldrick, Peace Journalism.
138. Betz, “Holistic Framework,” 6.
139. Hanitzsch, “Journalists as Peacekeeping Force?”
140. Bläsi, “Implementing Peace”.
141. Hanitzsch, “Journalists as Peacekeeping Force?,” 492.