News media play an important role in not only informing the public, but also in shaping public opinion. Whether unconsciously, or consciously, the media frame and set the agenda of news by the selection of news items. In doing so, public opinion is thus shaped and framed. It is therefore imperative and critical that news is presented in a fair, unbiased and responsible manner. This paper analysed online media coverage of the April 2015 xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Specifically, the focus was on the Sunday Times E-edition and its counterpart TimesLive. Online news articles result in the rapid dissemination of news stories and therefore have the potential to influence and precipitate discourse on a range of issues. The April 2015 xenophobic attacks resulted in extensive media coverage across South Africa and prompted both national, pan-African and global discourse. The research employed a qualitative research methodological approach through a thematic analysis of selected online newspaper articles focusing on the xenophobic attacks. The findings revealed that although the media under analysis reported on the event in a fair manner, priority was given to news items focusing on violent xenophobic attacks rather than other related news stories (like, for example, protest marches against the xenophobic attacks).

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