MEDIA GENDER REPRESENTATIONS OF TANZANIAN FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF HABARILEO AND MWANANCHI NEWSPAPERS

Abstract

Amid socio-political shifts and evolving perspectives on gender equality, the portrayal of female politicians in the media landscape remains a central point of discussion globally. Despite increased visibility, women politicians continue to confront gender stereotypes perpetuated by biases in media coverage and systemic barriers within political and media industries. This study investigates the gender representation of Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, within Tanzanian newspaper coverage. Specifically, the study addresses two primary research questions: the level of prominence attributed to news articles about President Samia and her portrayal within those articles. Employing quantitative content analysis, this study examined 414 news articles from Mwananchi and Habari Leo newspapers from March 2021 to March 2022. The findings revealed distinct approaches to President Samia’s visibility and portrayal among state-owned and privately-owned media. While Habarileo prioritizes her visibility on the front page, Mwananchi offers more in-depth analysis. The study also established that ownership, editorial policy, and socio-cultural constructs influenced the newspapers’ coverage. While the study unveils positive gender representations of the president, emphasizing her authority and competence, with photos capturing official events projecting power and leadership, it also revealed minor stereotypical representations in the coverage, predominantly related to traditional gender roles, with President Samia self-representing herself within these gender-stereotypical roles. In conclusion, this study underscores positive journalistic practices within the Tanzanian media landscape, highlighting a gender-sensitive portrayal of the first female president, thereby challenging entrenched traditional socio-norms.