ABSTRACT
This study content analyzed the front page issues of the 2016 Daily Graphic and Daily Guide newspapers on what made the news in the 2016 election year, as regards factors influencing selection of stories, frames used in the coverage of political news as well as ownership and the influence it had on how front page news was covered in the 2016 election year.
From all 626 issues published in 2016, a total sample of 148 issues was drawn for the two newspapers. This proportion gave a fair representation of the population. A constructed week technique was used to sample front page stories by the Daily Graphic and Daily Guide on the kinds of stories published and the dominant frames used by both newspapers in the coverage of political stories. A composite week was developed to represent each month of the year.
The findings showed that both Daily Graphic and Daily Guide gave maximum front page attention to political issues particularly in the third quarter of the year when the elections drew closer. These stories were skewed in favor of the elite who were mainly politicians. In the coverage of political news, Daily Graphic and Daily Guide gave more prominence to electoral processes and issues compared to stories that were legal in nature, those concerned with economy and governance as well as corruption. Findings also revealed that the negative element and the element of personalization in a story increased the probability of it being published on the front page.
The pattern of stories with regards to how they were framed remained same in all three quarters of the year by both Daily Graphic and Daily Guide.
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
One characteristic that is common among definitions of democracy is the role of elections which give citizens the power to choose their leaders and representatives. Elections are central to the very nature of contemporary democratic rule and provide a means by which governments are made answerable to the citizens (Bormann and Golder, 2013). An administration is classified as a democracy if the leader of the country is elected, if the number of parties competing are more than one, and finally if an opposition party has defeated the ruling government and has been allowed to take office (Cheibub, Ghandi & Vreeland, 2009). Dahl (1995) stated a list of eight required institutional guarantee for democracy which includes freedom of expression, right to vote and free and fair elections. Even though elections may not result in alternation of power, because they are participatory, competitive and legitimate, they still contribute to democratization by strengthening civil liberties in the society (Lindberg, 2006).
Ghana has experienced extended periods of military dictatorship since independence until 1993(Ayee,1997) and after twelve years of military rule under President John Jerry Rawlings and the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), multi-party presidential elections were held to return the country to constitutional rule in 1992. Since then, elections in Ghana have been held every four years with presidential and parliamentary elections being held at the same time generally on December 7. The only exception was 1992 when they were held on different dates (presidential held on 3rd November while parliamentary was held later on December 29).
Political History of Ghana
Ghana has held a number of elections since 1951 and has earned for herself the title of being a ‘beacon of African Democracy’ (Abdul-Rashid, 2017). The very first set of elections held in 1951(Ghana then Gold Coast) were held for a legislative assembly hence the right to vote was limited to only council of chiefs. Presidential elections however took place for the first time in Ghana in April, 1960 together with a referendum to create an executive presidency. Kwame Nkrumah who was then in power as the Prime Minister and leader of the Convention People’s Party and J.B Danquah were the only candidates who contested in the elections. However, in 1966, Nkrumah was overthrown by the National Liberation Council (NLC) whose chairman was Lt. Gen. Ankrah.
The 1969 parliamentary elections followed and was held in order to select for the 140 seat legislative body. Kofi Abrefa Busia, the leader of the Progressive People’s Party won 105 seats and emerged winner of the elections making him the Prime Minister of Ghana. Komla Agbeli Gbedemah of the National Alliance of Liberals secured 19 seats, thereby losing the election (Ghanaian Chronicle, 2016). Colonel Acheampong overthrew Dr. Busia in 1972 and became the Head of state after staging a coup d’état, which was devoid of murder. The 1979 June 4 coup was the next coup to be staged and was led by John Jerry Rawlings. He overthrew the administration of General Frederick Akuffo who had also unseated his forerunner, General Acheampong in a palace revolution. Rawlings staged another coup in 1981 to unseat Limann in 1981, bringing the country under military (PNDC) rule again which lasted until 1992 when the country was returned to democratic rule.
From 1996 through to 2016, elections have been organized successfully and power has been handed over from one party in power to the opposition and vice versa. According to Bigg and Kpodo (2015), the handing over of power from one party to another in a peaceful manner has strengthened Ghana’s reputation as the leading country in the practice of democracy in a region that has been scarred by civil wars.
The 1992 general election was first to be held after twelve years of military regime and was won officially by Rawlings with 58.3per cent of the votes, beating Adu Boahen who obtained 30.4 percent. Despite the declaration of International observers like the Commonwealth Observers of the 1992 elections as “free and fair”, the outcome of the election was strongly contested by the four opposition parties namely the New Patriotic Party (NPP), People’s National Convention (PNC), National Independence Party (NIP) and People’s Heritage Party (PHP) (Jeffries and Thomas, 1993). The opposition leaders claimed that the Commonwealth Observer Group and the Carter Centre Ghana Election Mission, could not detect the many instances of electoral malpractice which eventually resulted in the election being rigged (Jeffries & Thomas, 1993).
The 1996 general election was the next to be held and this was the second set of elections in a period when the country had just began to experiment with multi-party democracy hence foreign donors became deeply involved and disbursed large amounts of money to ensure a successful election (Jeffries, 1998). Ayee (1997) established that,‘T‘he 1996 elections were extremely important in the process of consolidating the country’s democracy as it was the first time since independence in 1957 that the country had a democratic election under democratic rule’’(Ayee,1997 p.1). The outcome was a win for the National Democratic Congress in both the
presidential and parliamentary elections. Rawlings of the NDC obtained 57.4 percent of the votes which was just a little less than the 58.3 per cent obtained in the 1992 elections. John Agyekum Kufour of the NPP obtained 39.6 per cent, performing a little better than his forerunner, Adu Boahen who got 30.4percent in the 1992 elections. Edward Mahama of the PNC obtained 3per cent.
The national elections of year 2000 was also important as it was the third time an election was being held under the country’s fourth republic. It also marked the first time in history that a government that had been democratically elected, handed over to the opposition party (Temin&Smith, 2002). After Ghanaians went to the polls to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections, a presidential runoff took place three weeks later with John Agyekum Kufour `\ emerging as the winner and inaugurated as president on January 7, 2001. Even though some isolated cases of uproars were reported, the 2000 elections were described as exponentially freer and fairer compared to the 1992 elections.
The presidential election in 2004 was a two horse race between the incumbent John Agyekum Kufour of the NPP and John Evans Atta Mills, flagbearer of the NDC. President Kufour won
52.45 percent of the votes with 44.64 percent going to John Evans Atta Mills of the NDC, 1.92 percent went to Edward Mahama of the PNC while 1percent went to George Aggudey of the CPP. The performance of the other candidates was of little value and so did not push the election into a run-off like in the 2000 elections making the incumbent, John Agyekum Kufuor retain power. The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers made some observations and reported at a press conference that Ghana had to be proud because the voting process was
peaceful and demonstrated the ability of Ghana’s institutions to function properly in a democracy (Guri, 2004).
Next was the 2008 general election in which the first round of voting for the presidential elections proved inconclusive. Although Akufo- Addo was in the lead with 49.1 percent of the votes, it wasn’t enough to give him a one-touch victory (Daddieh, 2009). John Evans Atta Mills followed closely with 47.9 percent whereas the other competing candidates won less than 3 percent of the votes consequently throwing the elections into a run-off as was the case in the 2000 elections. Professor Mills emerged winner and was sworn in as president on January 7, 2009 but without much parliamentary majority. Daddieh (2009) however stated that the 2008 elections brought about Ghana’s second change of power and confirmed the strength of Ghana’s democracy. According to the Commonwealth Secretariat (2008), the electorates turned out in their numbers to vote in the run-off elections just like in the first round showing their desire to enhance Ghana’s democratic credentials through a smooth transfer of power.
The next general election was in 2012. This election was the sixth election to be held after the country was returned to constitutional rule in 1992. Sadly, the election campaign period was overshadowed by the unexpected demise of President John Evans Atta Mills on July 24, 2012 after which Vice president John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as interim president and subsequently endorsed as flag bearer of the party during a congress. Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP was nominated as presidential candidate for the NPP. John Dramani Mahama secured more than 50percent of the votes on the first ballot (Daddieh, 2009), cancelling the need for a second round which was the case in the 2008 elections. The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers
(CODEO) observed and reported a generally calm political and electoral environment in the various constituencies which were observed as the day of the election drew closer. However political and electoral tension increased as the Election Day approached.
The most recent election held was the 2016 general election which saw the tables turn in favour of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as opposition leader Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo defeated the incumbent, President John Dramani Mahama after ruling for one term. Akufo-Addo of the NPP got 53.8percent of the votes whereas John Mahama of the NDC had 44.4percent of the votes. Nana Addo became president and was sworn in on January 7, 2017.
