1|Page
COM3706 Assignment 1 Semester 1 2026 (Answer Guide) - DUE 24
March 2026
VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN
GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER
PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in your academics.
UNISA, 2026
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 2
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT / MAIN ISSUE................................................................... 3
3. SUBPROBLEMS ................................................................................................................................... 5
Subproblem 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Subproblem 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 6
4. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 7
5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................... 9
6. RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................................ 11
6.1 Characteristics of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Designs ............................ 12
6.2 Justification for a Mixed Research Design ..................................................................... 13
6.3 Data Collection Method ..................................................................................................... 13
6.4 Target Population............................................................................................................... 14
6.5 Accessible Population....................................................................................................... 14
6.6 Sampling Category and Sampling Type .......................................................................... 15
6.7 Sample Size ........................................................................................................................ 15
6.8 Unit of Analysis .................................................................................................................. 15
6.9 Data Analysis Method........................................................................................................ 16
7. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 16
References .................................................................................................................................... 17
,2|Page
A Content Analysis Study Investigating How the Mail & Guardian Covers Political
Stories in South Africa
1. INTRODUCTION
The mass media plays a critical role in democratic societies by informing citizens about
political events, public policy debates and the activities of political actors. Newspapers,
in particular, remain one of the most influential platforms through which political
information is disseminated to the public. Through their selection, presentation and
framing of political stories, newspapers can influence how political issues are
understood and discussed in society. Consequently, analysing the way newspapers
report on political issues is important for understanding how media institutions
contribute to shaping political discourse and public opinion (McCombs, 2020).
Political news coverage provides citizens with the information they require to make
informed decisions regarding governance and public affairs. However, the way in which
political stories are reported is not always neutral. Newspapers may highlight certain
issues while giving less attention to others, thereby influencing the salience of political
topics within public discussions. Scholars argue that the media’s power lies not
necessarily in telling audiences what to think, but rather in influencing what they think
about by selecting and emphasising particular issues (McCombs & Shaw, 1972). As a
result, the coverage of political stories by newspapers has become an important area of
academic research within communication and media studies.
This study focuses on analysing how the Mail & Guardian, a prominent South African
newspaper, covers political stories within the country. The Mail & Guardian has
historically positioned itself as a newspaper that prioritises investigative journalism and
critical political reporting. Because of its strong focus on political affairs, the newspaper
provides a useful platform for examining the patterns and characteristics of political
news coverage in South Africa. The analysis of political stories in the Mail & Guardian
will provide insights into how political issues are framed, how frequently they appear in
the newspaper, and which actors or voices dominate political narratives.
, 3|Page
The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of selected issues of the
Mail & Guardian in order to investigate the manner in which political stories are
presented. Content analysis is a systematic research method used to analyse written
texts, images and other media content by identifying patterns, themes and frequencies
within the material being examined (Krippendorff, 2019). This approach allows the
researcher to combine both quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to evaluate the
representation of political news in the selected newspaper.
The study will analyse five chronological issues of the Mail & Guardian in order to
determine how political stories are covered during the selected time period. The
analysis will focus on several aspects of news reporting, including the number of
political stories published, the placement of such stories within the newspaper, the tone
used in reporting political issues, and the types of voices or actors that are represented
within the stories. Additionally, the study will explore the use of images and visual
elements in conveying political messages to readers.
This research proposal outlines the plan that will guide the study. The proposal begins
by identifying the research problem that the study seeks to address, followed by the
formulation of subproblems that will guide the investigation. These elements establish
the foundation for the research process and provide direction for the analysis that will be
conducted in later stages of the study. By examining how political stories are covered in
the Mail & Guardian, the study aims to contribute to a broader understanding of media
representation of political issues in South Africa and the role of newspapers in shaping
public awareness of political developments.
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT / MAIN ISSUE
The manner in which newspapers report political issues has a significant impact on how
political events, actors and policies are perceived by the public. Newspapers have the
power to prioritise certain political topics and perspectives while downplaying others,
thereby influencing the public agenda and shaping political discourse within society. As
a result, the coverage of political news in newspapers is not merely a reflection of
COM3706 Assignment 1 Semester 1 2026 (Answer Guide) - DUE 24
March 2026
VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN
GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER
PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in your academics.
UNISA, 2026
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 2
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT / MAIN ISSUE................................................................... 3
3. SUBPROBLEMS ................................................................................................................................... 5
Subproblem 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Subproblem 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 6
4. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 7
5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................... 9
6. RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................................ 11
6.1 Characteristics of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Designs ............................ 12
6.2 Justification for a Mixed Research Design ..................................................................... 13
6.3 Data Collection Method ..................................................................................................... 13
6.4 Target Population............................................................................................................... 14
6.5 Accessible Population....................................................................................................... 14
6.6 Sampling Category and Sampling Type .......................................................................... 15
6.7 Sample Size ........................................................................................................................ 15
6.8 Unit of Analysis .................................................................................................................. 15
6.9 Data Analysis Method........................................................................................................ 16
7. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 16
References .................................................................................................................................... 17
,2|Page
A Content Analysis Study Investigating How the Mail & Guardian Covers Political
Stories in South Africa
1. INTRODUCTION
The mass media plays a critical role in democratic societies by informing citizens about
political events, public policy debates and the activities of political actors. Newspapers,
in particular, remain one of the most influential platforms through which political
information is disseminated to the public. Through their selection, presentation and
framing of political stories, newspapers can influence how political issues are
understood and discussed in society. Consequently, analysing the way newspapers
report on political issues is important for understanding how media institutions
contribute to shaping political discourse and public opinion (McCombs, 2020).
Political news coverage provides citizens with the information they require to make
informed decisions regarding governance and public affairs. However, the way in which
political stories are reported is not always neutral. Newspapers may highlight certain
issues while giving less attention to others, thereby influencing the salience of political
topics within public discussions. Scholars argue that the media’s power lies not
necessarily in telling audiences what to think, but rather in influencing what they think
about by selecting and emphasising particular issues (McCombs & Shaw, 1972). As a
result, the coverage of political stories by newspapers has become an important area of
academic research within communication and media studies.
This study focuses on analysing how the Mail & Guardian, a prominent South African
newspaper, covers political stories within the country. The Mail & Guardian has
historically positioned itself as a newspaper that prioritises investigative journalism and
critical political reporting. Because of its strong focus on political affairs, the newspaper
provides a useful platform for examining the patterns and characteristics of political
news coverage in South Africa. The analysis of political stories in the Mail & Guardian
will provide insights into how political issues are framed, how frequently they appear in
the newspaper, and which actors or voices dominate political narratives.
, 3|Page
The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of selected issues of the
Mail & Guardian in order to investigate the manner in which political stories are
presented. Content analysis is a systematic research method used to analyse written
texts, images and other media content by identifying patterns, themes and frequencies
within the material being examined (Krippendorff, 2019). This approach allows the
researcher to combine both quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to evaluate the
representation of political news in the selected newspaper.
The study will analyse five chronological issues of the Mail & Guardian in order to
determine how political stories are covered during the selected time period. The
analysis will focus on several aspects of news reporting, including the number of
political stories published, the placement of such stories within the newspaper, the tone
used in reporting political issues, and the types of voices or actors that are represented
within the stories. Additionally, the study will explore the use of images and visual
elements in conveying political messages to readers.
This research proposal outlines the plan that will guide the study. The proposal begins
by identifying the research problem that the study seeks to address, followed by the
formulation of subproblems that will guide the investigation. These elements establish
the foundation for the research process and provide direction for the analysis that will be
conducted in later stages of the study. By examining how political stories are covered in
the Mail & Guardian, the study aims to contribute to a broader understanding of media
representation of political issues in South Africa and the role of newspapers in shaping
public awareness of political developments.
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT / MAIN ISSUE
The manner in which newspapers report political issues has a significant impact on how
political events, actors and policies are perceived by the public. Newspapers have the
power to prioritise certain political topics and perspectives while downplaying others,
thereby influencing the public agenda and shaping political discourse within society. As
a result, the coverage of political news in newspapers is not merely a reflection of
