Framing Development Diplomacy: An Analysis of Tanzania’s Newspapers’ Coverage of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s International Trips

Abstract

This study examined Tanzania’s newspapers’ framing of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s international trips during 2024, focusing on HabariLeo and Nipashe. The study employed a descriptive case study research design that provided a comprehensive understanding of how President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s international trips were portrayed in the Tanzanian newspapers in the period of 2024. Entman’s Framing Theory guided this study. The population of the study consisted of all hard news stories and editorials related to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s international trips published by Nipashe and HabariLeo newspapers in 2024. The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting HabariLeo and Nipashe newspaper editions that covered President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s international trips. The sample size for the study was 739 articles from both HabariLeo and Nipashe newspapers. The study applied qualitative content analysis in collecting data, which was analyzed thematically. The study’s findings showed that both HabariLeo and Nipashe newspapers considered President Samia’s international trips to be part of the nation’s diplomatic-economic agenda. Development framing was dominant in both HabariLeo and Nipashe newspapers. HabariLeo underlined the economic opportunities resulting from President Samia’s international trips as a major step toward the country’s modernization. Nipashe indicated more editorial independence by providing factual accounts without added praise. The dominant frame was economic development, which accounted for 79.8 percent. by incorporating critical, policy-oriented, and citizen-centered perspectives.