Content analysis:Kuwait’s leading media houses
Content analysis can be described as a systematic and replicable method of reducing many words into content groups that are based on express coding rules. It is also defined as a technique of drawing inferences through objectively looking at the specified aspects of a message. Content analysis is essential for the reason that it enables researchers to scheme large volumes of information with the utmost ease. In the context of mass communication, it helps us to sift through the available data and describe the political, economic and social focus of a media house, institution or country.
For purposes of this particular assignment, I chose to focus on two of Kuwait’s leading media houses, i.e. Kuwait Times and Al Qabas. Both newspapers are largely similar in terms of the coverage of the various national issues. Below are the coding forms for each of the newspapers. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
- Kuwait Times
| Category | Number of Occurrences |
| Political | 16 |
| Economic/business | 15 |
| Social/Entertainment | 16 |
| Sport | 14 |
| Other | 8 |
- Al Qabas
| Category | Number of Occurrences |
| Political | 12 |
| Economic/Business | 22 |
| Social/Entertainment | 17 |
| Sport | 10 |
| Other | 9 |
Analysis
Political
Disputes within the ruling family have characterized the politics in Kuwait for the past decade. The disputes are mainly attributed to succession battles to the reigning emir, Sheikh Sabah Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. With a new Prime Minister coming late last year followed by a cabinet reshuffle, it is not surprising to see why politics dominated in both newspapers. Politicians also own various media outlets in Kuwait. Thus, with elections scheduled for November 2020, politics will continue to feature more frequently as we draw closer to the elections.
Economic
Economic stories and coverage largely dominated both newspapers. The industrial sector largely dominates the Kuwait economy contributing to a staggering 74.8% to the country’s GDP. With a new Development Plan rolled out, both newspapers had an array of economic stories. Most of their stories revolved around issues such as private investment, promoting employment opportunities for the nationals as well as capital expenditure. The coverage focused both on the oil and non-oil sectors. The difference between the two newspapers is that Kuwait Times had a special focus on the non-oil sector such as education, real estate, banking and financial sectors. The reason is that these sectors are have been projected to be the key drivers for the economic development of Kuwait.
Social
The social platform in Kuwait has immensely grown, and this growth can largely be attributed to increased internet connectivity. Through various social media platforms, the entertainment sectors have seen tremendous growth while also increasing interactions amongst the people. As a result, entertainers have been receiving a lot of coverage, as seen in both newspapers. Both newspapers covered an array of topics in music, art and acting.
Sports
Sports received less coverage in both newspapers compared to other sectors. This can be attributed to the fact that the sports sector in Kuwait has been struggling for a long time, thus making it less popular. Al Qabas had more coverage of basketball than other sports while Kuwait Times had more coverage of football which is the most popular sport in Kuwait.
In conclusion, there were no sharp differences between the two of Kuwait’s leading newspapers. The close similarities in the percentage of coverage perfectly point out the prevailing political, economic and social situation in Kuwait.