Unframing the frame: A content analysis of BBC’s “Blood Parliament” documentary on Kenyan protests

Abstract

This article critically examines the BBC’s Blood Parliament documentary on the fatal police shootings in Kenya during June 25, 2024, anti-tax protests. The objective of the study is to address the rarely discussed issue of how the international media continues to narrate political crisis in Africa through western lenses rooted in colonial legacies. The study adopted qualitative research design using critical content analysis and visual deconstruction. It evaluated the documentary’s role in shaping narratives of state violence, protests and political legitimacy. Findings reveal that the documentary used emotional appeal at the expense of contextual complexity, and framed culpability narrowly by relying on exposure of junior security officers rather than systematic reform as a remedy. Findings also indicate that the documentary excluded Kenyan government and pro-government local voices. It also excluded the role of the colonial powers and skewed global economic systems in the political crisis in Kenya that resulted in anti-tax protests in June 2024. The study concludes that international media must recognize their ethical responsibility when narrating high-stakes political events in post-colonial Africa. It recommends conflict-sensitive journalism that is grounded on inclusivity, historical context and ethically-informed journalism. Furthermore, it calls on state institutions to develop robust legal, forensic and communicative capacities for self-accountability, and urges the implicated security officers to exercise their right of reply.