(RE)Presentation of fame and wealth in drum magazine.

Abstract

Media plays an increasingly greater role in modelling behaviour, especially for young people. Research has shown that adolescents use media to help define the world around them. Magazines, being a type of media, could also affect how people perceive the realities of wealth and fame. Therefore, this study explored how Kenyan magazines construct the meaning of wealth and fame, focusing specifically on Drum Magazine. The study used descriptive design to attempt a systematic and objective depiction of how wealth and fame are presented in Drum. The study population comprised Drum issues printed in the 12 months beginning January 2017 up to December 2017. A non-probability purposive sampling approach was used to select informative stories relevant to the study’s objectives. The study collected primary data from the travel section of Drum. Discourse analysis method was used to collect qualitative data from the sampled magazines. A roster of the features was printed and reviewed by the researcher for the context to be taken into consideration. Four tools were used to guide data collection, namely the Vocabulary Tool, Fill In Tool, Significance Building Tool and Topics and Themes Tool. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the collected qualitative data. The results were presented thematically according to the study objectives. The findings showed that Drum builds frames of fame and wealth around selected individuals even when they are not as wealthy or famous as the magazine presents them. Drum does not also acknowledge that there are wealthy and famous people who do not take the said vacations. Therefore, it was concluded that Drum was designed to serve the needs and whims of a settled urban society and help them ‘dream’ of a better life. Subsequently, the study recommends that the Drum should be impartial in the representation of all forms of wealth.