Foregrounding Negativity: Front-Page News in The Standard Newspaper and Prospects for Constructive Journalism in Kenya

Abstract

Constructive journalism emphasizes solutions, context, and community engagement to foster democratic conversation and social cohesion. While the media should provide balanced coverage of both positive and negative news, the dominance of negativity in news coverage often undermines public trust and civic engagement, especially where political biases and economic pressures mediate public opinion. The study investigated the prevalence of negative news and the use of constructive journalism principles in frontpage headlines and graphics of The Standard newspaper in Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to analyse the framing of negative news on The Standard's, and to assess the newspaper's application of constructive journalism principles in framing front-page headlines. Using framing theory as a basis and adopting an exploratory research design, a content analysis of 52 conveniently sampled front-page headlines was conducted. Data was collected through content analysis of front-page headlines and graphic content. The analysis revealed a high prevalence of negative news framing and limited use of constructive journalism elements, such as solutions reporting and community engagement. The findings suggest that adopting constructive journalism practices could help The Standard to balance negative reporting with solution-focused narratives, thereby enhancing public discourse and democratic engagement in Kenya.

Keywords: Constructive Journalism, Framing, Negative News, The Standard Newspaper

DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/108-01

Publication date:August 31^st 2025