As part of its research seminar series, the African Leadership Centre (ALC) is pleased to announce our next research seminar, which will be held on Tuesday, 28th April 2026, at 14.00 BTS/16:00 EAT.

The session will host a seminar presentation titled Quantitative and Qualitative Content Analysis of Cameroon Newspapers' Reporting (2016–2020) on the Anglophone Conflict

The session will examine media framing of the conflict through a detailed analysis of newspaper content over a five-year period.

About the event

Media representations play a critical role in shaping public understanding, especially in contexts where access to direct information is limited, such as the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon. This study explores how five Cameroonian newspapers, The Post, The Star, Le Messager, The Sun, and Cameroon Tribune, reported on the root causes, manifestations, and resolution strategies of the conflict in the North West and South West Regions between October 2016 and December 2020. A total of 501 editions were purposively sampled from a broader corpus of 2894 publications. Guided by agenda-setting theory, the study employed a sequential qualitative design, combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative thematic interpretation. Statistical tests, including chi-square analysis, were used to assess significant differences in newspaper reporting across key variables.

The findings reveal clear contrasts between state-owned (Cameroon Tribune) and privately owned newspapers in how they frame the conflict's causes, manifestations, and possible solutions. Private outlets placed greater emphasis on root causes such as marginalization, historical injustice, and identity suppression, while state media prioritized unity and security narratives. Nonetheless, all newspapers consistently highlighted dialogue as the most viable pathway to resolving the conflict. The study also finds that newspapers based in the conflict-affected Anglophone regions, and those publishing in English, dedicated more extensive and nuanced coverage to the crisis. These insights underscore the importance of media reporting as a mirror of public sentiment and as a tool for understanding citizen-preferred conflict resolution strategies.

About the chair

Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko is a Lecturer in Security, Development and Leadership in Africa at the African Leadership Centre (ALC).

About the speakers

Prof Kiven James Kewir is a visiting practitioner as part of the Practice of Leadership programme with the African Leadership Centre (ALC).

Dr Albert Mbiatem is a postdoctoral fellow at the African Leadership Centre (ALC) and a senior lecturer in the department of International Relations and Conflict Resolution at the University of Buea.

About the discussant

Dr Lorina Johnson-Prince is a Research Associate at the African Leadership Centre (ALC).