Quantitative and Qualitative Content Analysis of Cameroon Newspapers' Reporting (2016–2020) on the Anglophone Conflict

ABSTRACT Media representations play a critical role in shaping public understanding, especially in contexts where access to direct information is limited, such as the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon. This study explores how five Cameroonian newspapers, The Post , The Star , Le Messager , The Sun , and Cameroon Tribune , reported on the root causes, manifestations, and resolution strategies of the conflict in the North West and South West Regions between October 2016 and December 2020. A total of 501 editions were purposively sampled from a broader corpus of 2894 publications. Guided by agenda‐setting theory, the study employed a sequential qualitative design, combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative thematic interpretation. Statistical tests, including chi‐square analysis, were used to assess significant differences in newspaper reporting across key variables. The findings reveal clear contrasts between state‐owned ( Cameroon Tribune ) and privately owned newspapers in how they frame the conflict's causes, manifestations, and possible solutions. Private outlets placed greater emphasis on root causes such as marginalization, historical injustice, and identity suppression, while state media prioritized unity and security narratives. Nonetheless, all newspapers consistently highlighted dialogue as the most viable pathway to resolving the conflict. The study also finds that newspapers based in the conflict‐affected Anglophone regions, and those publishing in English, dedicated more extensive and nuanced coverage to the crisis. These insights underscore the importance of media reporting as a mirror of public sentiment and as a tool for understanding citizen‐preferred conflict resolution strategies.