http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/67 Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:06:39 GMT 2026-08-06T11:06:39Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10427 Title: Social Media, Socio-Technical Affordances and News Sourcingin Kenya’s Evolving Print Media Authors: Obuya, Jared Onyango; Waila, Jacinta Mukulu; Mulwo, Abraham Kiprop; Mitiro, Domnick Onyango Abstract: Social media has fundamentally reshaped journalism, yet theaffordances associated with its impact in legacy media,particularly in Global South contexts, remain underexplored. Thisarticle addresses this gap by examining the socio-technicalaffordances that have emerged from social media-drivendisruptions to sourcing practices in Kenya’s evolving print media.Guided by the theory of affordances, which conceptualizesaffordances as contextually embedded action possibilities thatboth enable and constrain human activity, the article draws on aqualitative multiple-case design involving two leading Kenyannewspapers, Daily Nation and The Standard. Data was generatedthrough in-depth interviews with 22 journalists (11 from eachnewsroom) selected through purposive and snowball sampling.Through a multiple-level thematic analysis, the findings show thatsocial media-driven disruptions to news sourcing can be linked tothree hierarchical socio-technical affordances: discovery,engagement, and validation. These affordances expandjournalists’ access to information, sources and audience feedbackwhile simultaneously intensifying verification challenges, ethicaltensions, safety risks and algorithmic dependence within Kenya’spolarized and resource-constrained news environment. The articlecontributes theoretically by extending the theory of affordancesto news sourcing, empirically by providing context-specificevidence from Kenya, and practically by highlighting the need forinstitutional support mechanisms to safeguard journalisticintegrity amid digital disruption. Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10427 2026-07-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10401 Title: #KaziIendelee vs. #KatibaMpya: A contested landscape of hashtag activism in Tanzanian political communication Authors: Njiro, Godwin Yonas; Rotich, Daniel Chebutuk; Nabushawo, Justin Clemency Abstract: The purpose of the article, was to explore how Tanzanian netizens use hashtag activism to participate in the country’s politics. Although hashtags have been used in many campaigns in Tanzania, little is known about the potential of this novel form of participation. We collected 3,692 tweets from X (formerly Twitter) using the search terms #KaziIendelee and #KatibaMpya. We then used Twitonomy for descriptive analysis and Qualitative Data Analysis Miner Lite for theme analysis. We discovered that #KaziIendelee has been used in a number of themes that support the current administration, including activism against gender�based violence, news sharing and information dissemination, and communication of the government’s plans, projects, and accomplishments. The hashtag #KatibaMpya was used in some situations, including public awareness campaigns, campaigning for constitutional reform, and strategic planning for a new constitution. It was evident that the choice and content of the messages associated with #KaziIendelee or #KatibaMpya—the former used by Tanzanians who support the current government, while the latter by Tanzanians and activists who believe a new constitution is required for a true democracy in the country—were determined by Tanzanian politics, which is typified by one party dominance in government. We conclude that when properly conducted, hashtag activism can serve as a useful tool for organizing and bolstering political activity. We recommend that Tanzania incorporate content production training programs for activism, political social media, and digital citizenship into its civic education policy Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10401 2024-09-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10397 Title: Social media activism in Tanzania: Exploring @MariaSTsehai and @fatma_karume use of X to influence socio-political change Authors: Njiro, Godwin Yonas; Rotich, Daniel Chebutuk; Nabushawo, Justin Clemency Abstract: This article examines how Tanzanian activists utilize the affordances of X (formerly Twitter) to drive socio-political change in the country. Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for activism, fostering dialogue, enhancing visibility, facilitating communication, and mobilizing support. While significant research has explored the role of social media in activism globally, there is limited scholarly focus on its impact and mechanisms within the Tanzanian socio-political context. To address this gap, we analyzed 6,384 tweets from two Tanzanian activists' X accounts using Twitonomy for descriptive analysis and Qualitative Data Analysis Miner Lite for thematic analysis. The conceptual frameworks of online listening and digital citizenship informed our analysis and interpretation of the findings. The results reveal that Tanzanian activists leveraged X to advocate for democracy and human rights, discuss national political and economic issues, and disseminate information. Their online activism has been instrumental in achieving key objectives, including overturning the ban on public political meetings, securing the release of political prisoners, and advancing the agenda for a new constitution. The conversational nature of their discourse highlights the practice of mutual listening among activists. We conclude that while social media offers significant potential to foster socio-political change, its effectiveness depends on its responsible and strategic use. To strengthen this impact, we recommend integrating digital citizenship into Tanzania's civic education policies and providing targeted training on content creation for activism and political engagement Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10397 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10396 Title: Media practitioners’ attitudes, awareness, and adherence to WHO regulations on suicide prevention in Kenya Authors: Sang, Stanley Kimuge; Rotich, Daniel Chebutuk; Nabushawo, Justin C. Abstract: Globally, media coverage of mental health issues, particularly suicides, has become a public concern. Studies show that how the media reports on sensitive health topics is likely to either raise awareness or lead to suicide incidences in any given society. This study examined the communication gaps in media reporting of suicides to recommend interventions to promote mental health awareness and wellness among the youth and the general public. This study used Media Representation, Cultivation, and Framing theories of mass communication to develop a theoretical framework. A relativist-constructivist paradigm was adopted. A qualitative research approach to get varied views from the participants of the study was used. Content analysis of suicide news from the two selected newspapers, namely Daily Nation and The Standard Newspapers, form the main sources of data. In-depth interviews were incorporated to complement the deeper understanding of the field of study. The study population was specific suicide cases from the two newspapers from 2018-2024. A sample size was of 25 key informants compromising youths, journalists and mental health experts whose responses supplemented data from key sources from the two newspapers. The participants were chosen through snowballing and purposive sampling techniques. The key findings of this study were that Newspaper reports on suicide do not adhere to the WHO guidelines on suicide prevention since most journalists in the Kenyan media have limited knowledge of the regulations and the media houses lack regulatory policies and guidelines on suicide reporting and prevention in Kenya. Therefore, the study proposed that the Media Council of Kenya and media houses, in general, should come up with robust guidelines on suicide reporting and prevention to minimise harm among the general public Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/10396 2025-04-01T00:00:00Z