How Journalists and Civil Society View Gender Portrayal in Editorial Cartoons in Kenya’s Daily Nation and Standard Newspapers

Abstract

Diverse views by scholars, policy makers as well as readers of newspapers and magazines, point to one critical issue that the media have of late become conduits for gender stereotyping not only in Kenya but the world over. This fact has been affirmed by public uproar against specific media houses in recent years after publishing cartoons that appeared offensive to sections of society. In some cases, such protests and reactions were very violent and claimed lives besides causing the destruction of property. Hinged on the Agenda setting theory, this paper refers to Kenya’s Daily Nation and Standard newspapers cartoon column in seeking to highlight what journalists and civil society consider to be the position of gender portrayed in editorial cartoons and whether by extension these cartoons subtly or unconsciously promote gender bias and stereotypical overtones. The qualitative case study was guided by the interpretivist philosophical paradigm. Besides the secondary data drawn from the two dailies, semi-structured interviews that targeted cartoonists, human rights, and gender activists from six purposely selected organizations were applied and analysed. The study finds bias and increased stereotypical overtones occasioned by a lack of resolve by the two media houses to adequately embrace gender sensitivity focus in the manner editorial cartoonists portray both men and women in the news. To cure the gender portrayal bias in the selected cartoons, there is need for specific in-housed editorial guidelines that will guide its creators.