A Framing Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence: A Case of HabariLeo and Mwananchi Newspapers

Abstract Aim: The purpose of the study was to examine how newspapers in Tanzania frame intimate partner violence. The study adopted the framing theory (Erving Goffman 1974). Study Design: The study used a longitudinal comparative research design using quantitative content analysis. The research was conducted between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023 using HabariLeo, a government-owned newspaper, and Mwananchi, a privately-owned newspaper. Methodology: The study used a quantitative approach. The study population comprised all 3,652 editions published by the two newspapers over a five-year period, from 2019 to 2023, with each newspaper contributing 1,826 editions. Results: The findings show that hard news made up 69% of news stories and 81% of news and features were episodic. Official sources supplied 45% of source appearances and survivors only 5%. Over a quarter of incident headlines explained the violence through infidelity, jealousy, love, or illness. Conclusion: The two newspapers framed intimate partner violence as a crime of passion rather than a public problem.