COM3706
Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO Semester 1 2026
Unique number:
Due Date: 12 May 2026
POLITICAL STORY COVERAGE IN THE MAIL & GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER: A
CONTENT ANALYSIS OF AGENDA-SETTING, PLACEMENT, TONE AND VOICES.
1. Introduction
This study examines how political stories are covered in the Mail & Guardian newspaper
through content analysis. Newspapers remain important in democratic societies because
they inform citizens about governance, political leadership, public policy and accountability.
However, newspapers do not only report events; they also influence which issues become
important in public debate through the selection, placement and repetition of news stories
(McCombs and Shaw, 1972). The Mail & Guardian was selected because it is known for
investigative journalism and political reporting in South Africa, especially on issues such as
corruption, governance and public accountability (Tyali, 2017). This study focuses on how
political stories are presented in the newspaper during the selected period of analysis. It will
examine leading political stories, the space given to politics, the location of political stories,
the angle of reporting and the voices included in the coverage. This will help show how the
newspaper may shape readers’ understanding of political issues.
Terms of use
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document as a guide for learning, comparison and reference purpose,
Terms of use
Not to duplicate, reproduce and/or misrepresent the contents of this document as your own work,
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document
Fully accept the consequences
solely as a guide forshould you plagiarise
learning, reference,orand
misuse this document.
comparison purposes,
Ensure originality of your own work, and fully accept the consequences should you plagiarise or misuse this document.
Comply with all relevant standards, guidelines, regulations, and legislation governing academic and written work.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is" without any express or
implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the
information contained within this document. This document is intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes.
Reproduction, resale, or transmission of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 81 278 3372
POLITICAL STORY COVERAGE IN THE MAIL & GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER: A
CONTENT ANALYSIS OF AGENDA-SETTING, PLACEMENT, TONE AND
VOICES.
1. Introduction
This study examines how political stories are covered in the Mail & Guardian
newspaper through content analysis. Newspapers remain important in democratic
societies because they inform citizens about governance, political leadership, public
policy and accountability. However, newspapers do not only report events; they also
influence which issues become important in public debate through the selection,
placement and repetition of news stories (McCombs and Shaw, 1972). The Mail &
Guardian was selected because it is known for investigative journalism and political
reporting in South Africa, especially on issues such as corruption, governance and
public accountability (Tyali, 2017). This study focuses on how political stories are
presented in the newspaper during the selected period of analysis. It will examine
leading political stories, the space given to politics, the location of political stories,
the angle of reporting and the voices included in the coverage. This will help show
how the newspaper may shape readers’ understanding of political issues.
2. Research Problem Statement
Political reporting plays an important role in shaping how citizens understand political
issues in South Africa. Newspapers such as the Mail & Guardian influence public
awareness by selecting certain political stories and giving them prominence over
others. However, political stories are not always presented in the same way, as
differences may exist in how frequently they appear, where they are placed in the
newspaper and how they are framed. These differences may affect how readers
interpret political events and actors. This study therefore investigates how the Mail &
Guardian covers political stories during the selected period of analysis. It focuses on
identifying patterns in the frequency, placement, tone and representation of voices in
political reporting in order to understand how the newspaper contributes to shaping
public debate (McCombs and Shaw, 1972; Tyali, 2017).
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 81 278 3372
3. Subproblems
1. To identify the leading political stories in the Mail & Guardian during the
selected period of analysis and to examine the themes and issues highlighted
in these stories.
2. To determine the space occupied by political stories in the Mail & Guardian in
relation to other themes such as business, sport and entertainment.
3. To analyse the location and number of political stories in the Mail & Guardian,
including whether they appear on the front page or in less visible sections.
4. To examine the angle taken in presenting political stories in the Mail &
Guardian
4. Literature Review
Newspapers play a central role in political communication by informing citizens about
political developments and shaping public debate. In democratic societies, the media
is expected to act as a watchdog by monitoring government activities and holding
political leaders accountable (Wasserman, 2010). However, scholars argue that the
media does not simply report events but also influences how these events are
understood through the selection and presentation of news (McQuail, 2010). This
means that political reporting can shape public perceptions of governance,
leadership and policy issues.
In the South African context, political reporting has developed significantly since the
end of apartheid, with newspapers focusing on issues such as corruption, service
delivery and political accountability (Wasserman, Chuma and Bosch, 2018).
Research shows that political news often emphasises conflict, controversy and
prominent political figures because these stories attract audience attention (Harcup
and O’Neill, 2017). While such reporting highlights important issues, it may also
create a perception that politics is mainly associated with crisis and disagreement.
Framing is another important concept in understanding political reporting. Framing
refers to the way journalists highlight certain aspects of a story while ignoring others,
thereby influencing how audiences interpret events (Entman, 1993). For example,
political events may be presented as governance failures or as necessary policy
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO Semester 1 2026
Unique number:
Due Date: 12 May 2026
POLITICAL STORY COVERAGE IN THE MAIL & GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER: A
CONTENT ANALYSIS OF AGENDA-SETTING, PLACEMENT, TONE AND VOICES.
1. Introduction
This study examines how political stories are covered in the Mail & Guardian newspaper
through content analysis. Newspapers remain important in democratic societies because
they inform citizens about governance, political leadership, public policy and accountability.
However, newspapers do not only report events; they also influence which issues become
important in public debate through the selection, placement and repetition of news stories
(McCombs and Shaw, 1972). The Mail & Guardian was selected because it is known for
investigative journalism and political reporting in South Africa, especially on issues such as
corruption, governance and public accountability (Tyali, 2017). This study focuses on how
political stories are presented in the newspaper during the selected period of analysis. It will
examine leading political stories, the space given to politics, the location of political stories,
the angle of reporting and the voices included in the coverage. This will help show how the
newspaper may shape readers’ understanding of political issues.
Terms of use
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document as a guide for learning, comparison and reference purpose,
Terms of use
Not to duplicate, reproduce and/or misrepresent the contents of this document as your own work,
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document
Fully accept the consequences
solely as a guide forshould you plagiarise
learning, reference,orand
misuse this document.
comparison purposes,
Ensure originality of your own work, and fully accept the consequences should you plagiarise or misuse this document.
Comply with all relevant standards, guidelines, regulations, and legislation governing academic and written work.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is" without any express or
implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the
information contained within this document. This document is intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes.
Reproduction, resale, or transmission of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 81 278 3372
POLITICAL STORY COVERAGE IN THE MAIL & GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER: A
CONTENT ANALYSIS OF AGENDA-SETTING, PLACEMENT, TONE AND
VOICES.
1. Introduction
This study examines how political stories are covered in the Mail & Guardian
newspaper through content analysis. Newspapers remain important in democratic
societies because they inform citizens about governance, political leadership, public
policy and accountability. However, newspapers do not only report events; they also
influence which issues become important in public debate through the selection,
placement and repetition of news stories (McCombs and Shaw, 1972). The Mail &
Guardian was selected because it is known for investigative journalism and political
reporting in South Africa, especially on issues such as corruption, governance and
public accountability (Tyali, 2017). This study focuses on how political stories are
presented in the newspaper during the selected period of analysis. It will examine
leading political stories, the space given to politics, the location of political stories,
the angle of reporting and the voices included in the coverage. This will help show
how the newspaper may shape readers’ understanding of political issues.
2. Research Problem Statement
Political reporting plays an important role in shaping how citizens understand political
issues in South Africa. Newspapers such as the Mail & Guardian influence public
awareness by selecting certain political stories and giving them prominence over
others. However, political stories are not always presented in the same way, as
differences may exist in how frequently they appear, where they are placed in the
newspaper and how they are framed. These differences may affect how readers
interpret political events and actors. This study therefore investigates how the Mail &
Guardian covers political stories during the selected period of analysis. It focuses on
identifying patterns in the frequency, placement, tone and representation of voices in
political reporting in order to understand how the newspaper contributes to shaping
public debate (McCombs and Shaw, 1972; Tyali, 2017).
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 81 278 3372
3. Subproblems
1. To identify the leading political stories in the Mail & Guardian during the
selected period of analysis and to examine the themes and issues highlighted
in these stories.
2. To determine the space occupied by political stories in the Mail & Guardian in
relation to other themes such as business, sport and entertainment.
3. To analyse the location and number of political stories in the Mail & Guardian,
including whether they appear on the front page or in less visible sections.
4. To examine the angle taken in presenting political stories in the Mail &
Guardian
4. Literature Review
Newspapers play a central role in political communication by informing citizens about
political developments and shaping public debate. In democratic societies, the media
is expected to act as a watchdog by monitoring government activities and holding
political leaders accountable (Wasserman, 2010). However, scholars argue that the
media does not simply report events but also influences how these events are
understood through the selection and presentation of news (McQuail, 2010). This
means that political reporting can shape public perceptions of governance,
leadership and policy issues.
In the South African context, political reporting has developed significantly since the
end of apartheid, with newspapers focusing on issues such as corruption, service
delivery and political accountability (Wasserman, Chuma and Bosch, 2018).
Research shows that political news often emphasises conflict, controversy and
prominent political figures because these stories attract audience attention (Harcup
and O’Neill, 2017). While such reporting highlights important issues, it may also
create a perception that politics is mainly associated with crisis and disagreement.
Framing is another important concept in understanding political reporting. Framing
refers to the way journalists highlight certain aspects of a story while ignoring others,
thereby influencing how audiences interpret events (Entman, 1993). For example,
political events may be presented as governance failures or as necessary policy
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
