| dc.description.abstract | This study‘s main objective was to a comparatively analyze how two leading newspapers in Kenya
prime banking news. The specific questions that this study sought to answer were: to establish the
key banking issues themes and how they are disseminated to the public through print media; who the
key voices and agenda-setters are and how were they primed over time; how are banking issues
presented and the geographic diffusion pattern of the media coverage of the banking news. The study
reviewed the Priming Theory and the Agenda setting theory.
The research design involved content analysis of the literature with a bias towards the following
themes: number of articles; size in cm2, type of the story, placement, prominence and the main
subject that stories are published mostly. Data collection involved conducting interviews with the
media professionals, banking sector employees and desk review of newspapers. One major limitation
is the fact that the research was based on information provided to a certain portion of the overall
Kenyan demographic, and thus the recommendations could be most valid and useful for a similar
portion of the Kenyan demographic.
Notably, the study evidence suggests the media were more amicable to the vested interests of the
political class than the banking sector news. This was confirmed by the fact that during the entire
6month study period, no banking related news item appeared in A‘section of the two newspapers.
Interestingly, majority of the articles containing the words ―banking newsǁ and/or ―financial newsǁ
appeared in the D section of newspapers. This should be a matter of concern, not just for banks but
also editors and media owners. Very often, print media articles mentioned peer or rival banks in the
same sentence hence the need for banking institutions to work together. More so, the findings divulge
that the media attention relating to banking news is increasing over time and recommends that bank
should establish personal relationships with a small cadre of print media professionals. In terms of
geographically focus, banks should invest in national campaigns and or news.
In a nutshell, the print media is a powerful tool that has been and can continue to be used to effect
business change. Banking industry news is important and salient business issue of the present time.
While banking institutions already actively attempt to use the print media in order to sensitize
people about the industry and market their products, there are ways in which they can improve
their media communications strategies through priming. | en |
