Salience and silence: representation of the Zimbabwean crisis in the local press

Abstract

The power of the press to shape public opinion is well documented. News readers take a cue from the press on how much salience to attach to an issue. The press are primary sources of 'the pictures in our heads' and furnish us with interpretative frameworks for understanding public affairs. This article examines representation of the Zimbabwean crisis by the local press between 2000 and 2008. It is argued that representation of the Zimbabwean crisis mirrors the contours chalked by the polarized media environment.