A Content and Critical Discourse Analysis of the Nation Newspaper’s Coverage of the Garissa University College Terrorist Attack in Kenya

Abstract

This paper aimed at critically analyzing the coverage of the Garissa University College terrorist attack which happened on 2nd April 2015 through three objectives: to determine whether the Nation conformed to the traditional news function of informing by use of the inverted pyramid; to analyze the use of language and its possible effects on the audience; and to establish the degree to which the gatekeeping function of the media was followed. Through a content analysis and a critical discourse analysis of language use of the reporting of a total of 115 stories between 4rd April, 2015 to 30th April, 2015, it was established that the paper did indeed conform to the information function of the press. The paper also conformed to acceptable gatekeeping functions where only 5% of the stories covered should have been killed. With the exception of only 5.22% of the stories, 94.78% of them were well-written according to the traditional inverted pyramid form of news writing with the study concluding that the Daily Nation reported this highly newsworthy event accurately and in line with procedure and with minimal evidence of bias.