The intermedia influence of X on legacy media coverage of the 2023 harmonised elections in Zimbabwe

The legacy media has for many years been instrumental and central in setting news agenda. In Africa, where the majority of the population dwells in rural areas, the centrality of the legacy media in setting news agenda is not in doubt. However, digital platforms have of late been key platforms for news resulting in them competing with the legacy media in setting news agenda. The purpose of this paper is to examine the intermedia relationship between X and legacy media in Zimbabwe within the theoretical framework of agenda-setting. The study sought to find out the intermedia agenda setting between X and the legacy media in Zimbabwe, namely, NewsDay and The Herald . The two publications represent the polarised Zimbabwe media system and the broader socio economic and political landscape. For analysis, Rozelli Campbell’s intermedia agenda cross-lagged correlation method was used. Findings demonstrate that X influenced legacy media’s reportage on elections during the given period. However, there were strong correlations between X and NewsDay as compared to The Herald .