Abstract:
The work examined how the media presents the chieftaincy institution and how chiefs
are framed in the various local newspapers. It also tried to understand the different
frames used by the newspapers to represent chiefs and how they impact on their
image and chiefly positions they occupy in the Ghanaian society.
Again, the study examined the major themes inherent in the chieftaincy stories used
by local newspapers and how they affect the image of chiefs and the chieftaincy
institution as a whole and the ideology and principles that guided and informed the
media professionals in their presentations as well as the perspectives of chiefs.
The study used framing and gatekeeping analysis as the theoretical base for the study.
Qualitative methods were adopted in the process of the data collection. Three major
newspapers namely, the Daily Graphic, the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Guide
were used for the study. Three journalists and a chief were also interviewed.
The major findings of the research showed that chiefs are usually associated with
conflicts, litigations and various social vices in the Ghanaian media. This is reinforced
by the trend that emerged in the newspapers studied which predominantly framed
chiefs around litigation which were given prominence, even though chieftaincy stories
were largely not accorded front page prominence in the newspapers studied.
Description:
THIS DISSERTATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND
MEDIA STUDIES, IS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA IN PARTIAL
FUFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF
ARTS IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES DEGREE