DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2016.v04i04.014

Pages: 409-414

Media is a significant element for communication among groups and organisations in the society. The terror groups such as Alshabab have not succeeded in their use of mainstream media to communicate their narratives and thus, they rely on the alternative media. In the September 21 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Kenya, Alshabab used twitter to counter narratives from the government and mainstream media reporting on the event. The extent of Alshabab’s use of twitter triggered the researcher to examine the role of media narratives in the fight against terror. The objective of the study was to examine the alternative media narrative and the reportage on Alshabab during Westgate mall attack in Kenya. The study analysed strategies used by alshabab on twitter and the reporting by two Kenyan newspapers (The Standard and The Nation) during Westgate attack. The study used descriptive research design. The data was analysed qualitatively through thematic coding and interpretation. Data analysis was carried out in stages using content analysis, in which the narratives was analysed for themes and language strategies and frames. The findings of the study reveal that alshabab used various strategies from the first day of the Westgate attack. The findings has that the alshabab and the newspaper reporting was radically opposed immediately the mainstream media realized they were advancing terrorists ideals by reporting breaking the incident as hard news. The researcher recommends more understanding of the terrorists’ propaganda so as to counter it in its early stages before their ideals are advanced.