South African press coverage of a frontline African State

In March 1984, an unprecedented peace treaty in southern Africa was signed by the governments of Mozambique and the Republic of South Africa. The treaty held an obvious promise for peace and economic stability in the region, particularly for the signatories. This study was undertaken to decipher what changes the Nkomati Peace Treaty may have brought to the relationships of the signatories through the eyes of the press. The prestigious Rand Daily Mail was content analyzed. All issues that were published during the twelve-month period preceding the treaty and the twelve-month period following the treaty were included in the study. Comparisons of the direction of coverage (favorable, neutral, un favorable, towards Mozambique), frequency of coverage, and prominence of the coverage of Mozambique in the Mail were done. The results showed a significantly less favorable treatment of Mozambique following the treaty; a considerable increase in coverage; and a significant decrease in the prominence of Mozambican stories.