Coverage of Election Campaigns by the State-Owned Press: A Content Analysis of the Daily Graphic's Coverage of Ghana's 2008 Election

Abstract

This was a triangulated study that examined coverage of political parties b) the state-owned Daily Graphic during the 2008 electioneering campaigns. The purpose was to ascertain whether or not the newspaper gave fair and balanced coverage to AU political parties as it is constitutionally mandated to do. The study was carried out through a quantitative content analysis of all issues of the Daily Graphic from June to December 2008, and qualitative in-depth interviews with editors of the newspaper. The content analysis was carried out in Iwo parts. The first part focused on general coverage received by all parties while the second focused on coverage received by the four leading political parties on specific events that were common to them. While the content analysis helped in providing descriptive analysis to coverage received by parties, the in-depth interviews offered explanations to the gatekeeping practices of the newspaper and also provided contextual explanations to the findings from the content analysis The study found that in terms or amount of coverage, the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) received more coverage than the opposition parties. Howcver, analysis of coverage of events that were common to the four leading political parties revealed that disparities in coverage received by parties in terms of amount, prominence and tone were a reflection or the newsworthiness of campaign activities and the number of such activities carried out by the respective political parties rather than a case or bias and favoritism on the part of the Daily Graphic.