DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2016.v04i03.011

Pages: 261-266

This study analysed the Daily Newspapers messages that called for peace in the run up to the 2013 elections. The study relied on descriptive research design and was premised on Agenda Setting theory as espoused by McCombs and Donald Shaw. Purposive sampling was used to select newspaper content with peace messages and to select newspaper readers in Nakuru town. Focus group discussions were used as research instruments to collect data from the selected respondents from Nakuru town. Collected was subjected to open, axial and selective coding for analysis purpose. For the data obtained from newspaper content, Content analysis formed the main part of the analysis. The findings of the study has it that newspapers in the run up to 2013 elections carried peace messages in news and feature stories, in their editorial sections, opinion and advertisements. However, the findings show that although experts and scholars accused media of ‘indulging’ in peace advocacy and forgetting their watchdog role, the respondents praised the role media played in ensuring after poll calm and peaceful coexistence and tolerance. The study findings are useful to the media houses and media in their effort to use newspapers as a medium of peace reporting and other forms of advocacy.