Investigating the Utilisation of Linguistic Codes in Print and Electronic Media to Raise Cancer Awareness in Kenya.

Abstract

This study explored the role of linguistic codes in promoting cancer awareness within the ecological communication framework. This was achieved by examining how various linguistic codes were distributed among the mass media in Kenya. The three most widely used linguistic codes - Kiswahili, English and Gikuyu - were considered. Further, television and radio were selected from among the electronic media, while newspapers and posters represented the print media. Radio and television stations, as well as newspapers with nationwide coverage, were included. Posters were collected from the notice boards of public hospitals. The audio and audio-visual recordings, newspaper articles and posters were categorised under respective linguistic codes and quantified. Overall, English was the dominant code since it conveyed 70% of all the pieces of information collected. The dominance of English was more pronounced in the print medium (98%) than in the electronic medium (46%). Low utilisation of indigenous languages may have contributed to low cancer awareness and an increasing cancer burden in Kenya. Effectively, the study recommends more use of the indigenous language in both the print and the electronic media.