Emotion Over the Airwaves: Considering Nuances in Linguistic and Production Choices in African Radio News Through the Affective News Framework

Abstract

Radio, with its emotive power, shapes perceptions and engages audiences deeply. In Africa, where it remains a primary information source and the medium that fosters the greatest linguistic diversity, radio broadcasts evoke empathy and ignite conversations, reflecting local contexts. This chapter explores the influence of radio news on emotions across different African countries. A comparative analysis of 441 minutes of radio news reports in Mauritius, Ghana, and South Africa, aired September 20–26, 2023, explores the potential of journalistic linguistic choices to shape emotions. The content analysis focused on news bulletins aired during drive-time shows. It involved closely reading the selected news reports, paying attention to linguistic and production choices that could influence the emotional impact on the audience. The aim is to enhance the existing affective news framework by providing insights into how linguistic and production choices potentially evoke emotions with linguistically diverse African radio news programs as the focus.