Image Creation about Africa Within the State-Owned Media Space: A Content Analysis of the Ghanaian Times Newspaper
Kwaku Baah-Acheamfour 
Issue: Vol.5 No.2 Issue Article 7 pp.149-159
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024527 | Published online 23rd February, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This study attempted to find out the various images or themes that the Ghanaian Times as a State-owned Print Media in Ghana portrays about Africa through its reportage. Utilizing the gatekeeping, cultural imperialist, and framing theories, the study looked at the selection of stories by the editors and the final images that were portrayed about Africa per the stories selected for publication for five (5) years. Through content analysis, the study sampled 225 stories from the Ghanaian Times newspaper. The study hypothesized that the newspaper would frame Africa positively but the findings did not support that hypothesis. The study further delved into the sources of the African news as it was hypothesized that the Ghanaian state-owned newspaper would also pick the majority of its stories from indigenous African news agencies. The results again caused the claim to be rejected as the newspaper indeed relied more on Western media particularly the British Broadcasting Corporation for news on Africa. While there is the need to periodically research to find out about the state of Africa’s image in the media, it was recommended that the African media must reduce its dependence on foreign news agencies for stories on Africa as the tone of such stories is largely negative. The study contributes to the existing literature regarding Africa’s image in the media especially how Ghanaian media frames Africa.
Keywords – Africa, Image, Media Framing, News Sources
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Kwaku Baah-Acheamfour is a Lawyer and an Academic with the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC-IJ), formerly Ghana Institute of Journalism. Aside his law background , he also holds an M.A and MPhil degree in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Education, Winneba. He is currently Doctoral student at the same University. He has over 15 years experience in both Print and Broadcast Journalism having worked with many newspapers, radio and TV stations in Ghana. His research focuses on Digital and Data Journalism, Geo-politics, Media Management, Media Content Analysis, Framing Analysis, Content Production, Media Law, International and Business Law, Gender and Media studies.
Baah-Acheamfour, Kwaku.“Image Creation about Africa Within the State-Owned Media Space: A Content Analysis of the Ghanaian Times Newspaper.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.2 (2024): 149-159. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024527
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
