Media Narratives of a Historic Presidency: Dominant Frames in Reporting on Samia Suluhu Hassan in Tanzania.

This study examines how Tanzanian print media framed President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the first six months of her presidency, a period marked by political transition and historical significance as she became the country’s first female Head of State. Guided by framing theory and informed by scholarship on gender and political communication, the study analyses how leadership legitimacy and gendered authority were constructed in two leading English-language newspapers, Daily News and The Guardian. Using a qualitative content analysis of 261 hard news stories sampled through the Constructive Week Sampling technique, the study identified six dominant frames: leadership ability, economic development, diplomacy, health improvement, gender parity, and democracy. The findings reveal notable differences in framing patterns across the two newspapers. Daily News accounted for 61.7 per cent of the dominant frames, providing broader and more supportive coverage aligned with state narratives, while The Guardian contributed 38.3 per cent, offering more selective and internationally oriented reporting. Leadership ability emerged as the most prominent frame, portraying President Samia as decisive, competent, and reform-driven. Economic and diplomatic frames reinforced her image as a pragmatic leader focused on stability, investment, and regional re-engagement, while health-related frames highlighted a shift toward evidence-based COVID-19 governance. Although less frequent, gender parity and democracy frames contributed symbolic value by normalising female political leadership and signalling cautious democratic openness. The study contributes to African media and communication scholarship by demonstrating how media framing shapes perceptions of female political leadership during periods of transition.