Peacemaker, warrior: Media depiction of religious actors in Kenyan and Philippine 2013 electoral coverage

Media are important sources of information about religion in Kenya and the Philippines. Given the role played by religious actors in the democratisation of both countries, the largely unexamined nexus of church and media calls for scholarly inquiry. Through a qualitative investigation of the depiction of churches in the coverage of the 2013 elections in the largest newspapers by circulation in both countries, this paper scrutinises the primary power relationships between churches and key electoral actors and assesses whether the churches are depicted positively or negatively. The findings contrast significantly between the two countries. Kenyan churches are depicted as peacemakers in a fragile democracy, acting through state actors and deferring to the executive power, whereas Philippine churches are portrayed as political contenders often challenging government institutions and politicians. The differences in the depiction of churches point to socio-political contexts and enable appraisal of the quality of the public sphere in both countries.