Covering Batu Sapi by-election: Analysis of Sin Chew Daily and Nanyang Siang

One of the most evident instance of the media’s power to influence politics is framing of elections. In this article, the authors analyse the outcome of a framing analysis of how Malaysian Chinese newspapers namely Sin Chew Daily and Nanyang Siang Pau reported a Malaysian by-election in Batu Sapi in 2010. This by-election was important because the result was considered as significant indications of the people’s confidence in the ruling coalition and the Prime Minister Najib’s promises to reform since the political tsunami in 2008. The outcome of this by-election was also seen as indications of the people’s voting pattern for the upcoming 13th Malaysian general election. The content analysis in this study is to examine the pattern of coverage; the predominant news sources; the frame used by the newspapers; and the slant of the news articles. It is found that both newspapers devoted huge attention to getting straight news stories from Barisan Nasional leaders, while episodic frame made the strongest showing on the pages of the papers. Sin Chew Daily and Nanyang Siang Pau are also found to have been neutral toward the parties and candidates contesting in the by-election.