"Vampires in the News": A Critical Analysis of News Framing in Malawi's Newspapers. Issue 2 (3rd April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sharra, Albert
• Is Part Of: African journalism studies. Volume 40:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 67
• Page End: 82
• Publication Date: 2019-04-03
• Subjects: vampires -- bloodsucking -- framing -- crisis frame -- indictment frame; Journalism -- Social aspects -- Africa -- Periodicals; Journalism -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Press -- Africa -- Periodicals; Press -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 302.23096
• DOI: 10.1080/23743670.2019.1656662
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2374-3670

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article examines how Malawi's leading newspaper publishers, Nation Publications Limited (NPL) and Times Group, covered and framed news stories on bloodsuckers (vampires) between September and October 2017. Drawing on framing theory, the study analyses news story texts, headlines, captions and pictures from 37 published articles to understand the impression created by the publications. The article argues that news framing took a complex approach tied to two major frames—crisis and indictment—that portrayed the vampire occurrence as a misconstrued quandary facing a seemingly clueless government incapable of dealing with the problem to save its credibility and legitimacy in protecting its people. The article further shows that despite the preferred frames, the dynamics of the events around the occurrence continuously twisted the framing decisions in both newsrooms. This compromised the publications' role to enlighten the minds of the affected on the occurrence.