U.s. Media Coverage of Africa: a Content Analysis of the New York Times From 2003 to 2007

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the manifest content of the New York Times' coverage of Africa from January, 2003 to December, 2007. A content analysis was conducted of a randomly-selected sample of nine constructed weeks. The study examined each article's length, type and subtype of news, its New York Times desk of origin, and its focus on Africa and on the African people. This study showed a substantial decrease in the percentage of crisis news reported in the New York Times' coverage of Africa compared with previous studies of the New York Times and other major U.S. newspapers. The percentages of types of news coverage Africa received appear to be closer to the percentages of types of news coverage other regions receive, suggesting that perhaps Africa is now receiving more balanced coverage. Nevertheless, crisis news remained the predominant type of coverage Africa received.