Reading the Future in the News: How Headlines Framed Political Polarisation in Tanzania’s 2020 Elections
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Abstract
Tanzania has conducted seven general elections since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992, the first in 1995 and the last in 2025, held every five years as provided in the 1997 constitution. The 2025 general elections witnessed unprecedented large-scale protests. These events marked a sharp departure from Tanzania’s long-held image as one of the most politically stable and peaceful countries in Africa. Popularly referred to as MO29 (Maandamano ya Oktoba 29/ October 29th protests), the events were not coincidences but manifestations of previously unresolved electoral political issues. Since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in Tanzania, each election has been reported to fall short of being a ‘free, fair and competitive’ process. This study, using a mixed methods design, applies a framing analysis of headlines in three leading national newspapers, Habari Leo, Mwananchi, and Nipashe, to examine how electoral narratives in the 2020 General Elections news hinted at political realities facing Tanzania. The study advancestwo central arguments: first, that the unrest during the 2025 general elections was closely connected to previously unresolved election grievances and, second, that political polarisation in Tanzania has intensified to its highest level since the reintroduction of multiparty politics and is on the rise. The 2020 General Elections news reported expressions of electoral grievances from especially opposition political parties, with headlines filled with polarising discourses. This news framing explains the subsequent realities of Tanzania’s electoral politics witnessed during the 2025 general elections. The analysed headlines defined Tanzanian society as politically polarised, a reality that Tanzania must reckon with to survive future electionrelated complications.
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