THE PATTERN AND FRAMES OF HIV/AIDS PRESS COVERAGE IN GHANA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE DAILY GRAPHIC AND THE DAILY GUIDE NEWSPAPERS FROM 2000 TO 2015

ABSTRACT This study was a quantitative content analysis of the reportage of HIV/AIDS issues by the Daily Graphic and the Daily Guide from 2000 to 2015. Using the theories of framing and issue-attention cycle, this study was to determine the pattern of coverage and frames of HIV/AIDS stories and the sources used in such news stories. Also, how specific-issue frames relating to HIV/AIDS changed with time and the differences apparent in the way the two newspapers covered HIV/AIDS issues were examined. A total of 414 stories were acquired after a constructed week sampling of January to December of the years 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015. The findings supported the rise-peak-decline pattern suggested by the issue-attention cycle, since the frequency of media coverage of HIV/AIDS issues in Ghana rose from 2000, peaked in 2003, and steadily declined up to 2015. Also, evidence from the study show that HIV/AIDS stories were mostly packaged as straight news, and generally given minimal prominence in terms of placement. There was also a predominant and monotonous use of official sources in HIV/AIDS stories. Furthermore, press coverage of HIV/AIDS was found to have been dominated by prevention frames to the neglect of other important aspects of the disease. Even so, most of such prevention stories were preoccupied with covering events and the official speeches presented there instead of actually discussing important ways to avoid infection or control the disease. However, the issue-frames tended to change with time. Hence, in the latter years examined under this study, prevention frames declined significantly to give way to other frames (transmission, political impact, and funding) which had hitherto not been as popular. Finally, the predominant use of episodic frames in HIV/AIDS stories did not correspond with an equally predominant use of individual responsibility. Responsibility for the causality and solution treatment was rather primarily attributed to institutions.