Browsing by Author "Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)"

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    Audience Satisfaction With Ethiopian Television Amharic Children’s Program: The Case of Children in Addis Ababa
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-07) Mulugeta, Tseganesh; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    The central focus of this study was to explore the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of children with Ethiopian Television Amharic children’s program. The study attempted to see the extent to which the program gratify the children or not, for what purpose they use the program, the children’s program preferences and whether the children’s needs/interests are addressed or not. In the literature review, various literatures that have connection with children and television were review. Accordingly, Bandura’s social – learning theory and the uses and gratifications approach were used as a theoretical framework to this particular theme. The research method that was utilized in this study was qualitative. The study, by using focus group interviews and in-depth individual discussions, tried to explore the level of the respondent’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction in relation to the program. The respondents were selected purposely to find out the real viewers of the program. The editor and producers of the particular program also interviewed to make the study complete. The findings of the research demonstrated that ETV Amharic children’s program is not in the position to gratify its viewers. The responses of the respondents reveal that their needs and/or preferences are not fit with the content and presentation of the program. Even if they have lots of reasons to watch it, they didn’t achieve what they want and expect. The outcomes of the individual in-depth and focus group interviews revealed that the majority of the respondents lost interest toward the program because the program did not gratify their needs.
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    Causes, Conseqences and Roles of External Actors in the Current South Sudan Conflict
    (Addis Ababa University, 2015-06) Mebratu, Tewodros; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    The world‟s new state, South Sudan. The aggregate effects of marginalization, imposition of sharian law, denial of self-governing rights and in general, claiming that they were considered as „secondary citizens‟ in Sudan, and after making a bitter struggle for three decades, in 2011 South Sudan maintained its independence by a referendum. But unfortunately, within three years after gaining its independence a civil war broke out in South Sudan. A political power struggle between the South Sudanese president Salva Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar has resulted in violent clashes between ethnic army factions in December 2013. Since then, fighting has spread across South Sudan and claimed the lives of around 10,000 people. Taking into account the past hostility and bitterness between these two big ethic groups. It is feared that a deadly ethnic cleansing and massacre might happen again in the continent. Since the civil war broke out, peace talks between these sides in Juba & Addis Ababa hasn‟t been fruitful yet. Conflicts are erupting in different provinces of South Sudan from time to time. To this effect; children, women & elderly will continue to suffer. Thus, this research opts to explore and find out the root causes of this conflict which broke out in 2013, with the direct and indirect involvement of the external state, and non-state actors as well. In addition; the political, economic and humanitarian consequences of the conflict will be explored in depth. To conduct the research, primary and secondary sources were employed that gave the study a detailed explanation in a descriptive & analytical way
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    Challenges of Journalists in Reporting Politics: A Comparative Study of FM Addis 97.1 and Sheger FM 102.1 Radios
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-11) Tadesse, Engdawork; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    This study is intended to identify challenges of journalists, working in government and private FM radios, in repoiting political related issues. The rationale behind it is that as long as these newly coming FM radios are functioning in a country which needs more and more economic, political and social improvements; and as long as they are reporting serious political issues such as election and other; their performances and contributions to the political and social arena of the country; and the constraints faced by the journalists in reporting political issues should be studied. To this end, the study uses focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview to get data from the jomnalists in FM Addis 97.1 and Sheger FM 102.1 radios and Key Informants in EBA, NEBE, EJA and EFJA. The study focuses on the views and experiences of journalists. Thematic analysis has been used to discuss and analyze the data. Verbatim transcription of verbal data, production of initial codes, identification of theme, revision of theme, naming and defining theme and producing the final report are the important steps the study follows. The findings of the study show some major constraints to the journalists in political reporting, three of which have been summarized here. One is their poor relationship with government officials and politicians. On the one hand, with some underestimation most government officials prefer 'the government journalists' than 'the private ones'. They give information to the government journalists beforehand. However, many of the opposition political party leaders and members do not like the government journalists. On the other hand, the private radio journalists are in between; that is to say, they have moderate relation with both the government and the oppositions. Second, concerning access to government information, journalists in government media have more access than the private ones. But they themselves are facing problems of the deliberate act of delaying information by the officials and they are not eligible to report foreign relations issues directly by themselves. Whereas, the main problem for the journalists in Sheger FM 102.1 is that many of the goverrunent officials are reluctant to give them information because they are 'private radio journalists'. Distorted and biased information is also a problem for them. Third, lack of professional freedom is another constraint for the government media journalists than the private ones. The government officials intervene in the works of the journalists, especially whenever serious issues arise in the country. For which reason, they do self-censorship. But they are free in their routine repoiting of issues which are not serious. Contrary to this, the private journalists are enjoying their professional freedom. They have no any proprietor or commercial influence in their works.
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    Challenges to Regional Integration: The Case of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
    (Addis Ababa University, 2013-05) Abraha, Gebregiorgis; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    This study explores and examines the challenges of regional integration in the sub region of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Political and Economic integration has been part of African strategy to overcome fragmentation and improve the continent‟s position in the global political economy. Regional Economic Communities have been part of this and there are more such efforts in Africa than other continents. One of these, Intergovernmental Authority on Development was initiated in 1986 to coordinate efforts at combating drought and desertification and Reorganized in 1996, it has since been more active in managing regional conflicts. The paper uses the IGAD region as a case study to argue that there are more political and economic integration. In continental and regional perspectives there seem to be strong evidence that political and economic integration are close related, these include Neo-functionalism, Intergovernmentalism,Custom Union theory, Optimal Currency theory, Fiscal federalism and International Political Economy respectively. The study also discusses pre-conditions that are necessary to regional integration such as diversity in production, adequate infrastructure, political will, domestic peace, robust and strong private sector, strong market pressure and mutual trust among member countries and challenges for regional integration, including lack of supra nationalism and political will, overlapping membership, distrust among membership, lack of complementarities and poor infrastructure. The appraisal of this study reveals the challenges of IGAD region. The major challenges are political and security (lack of supra nationalism, lack of political will, security), structural challenges (weak institution, over lapping membership, lack of a proper managing of relations among member states) economic and social challenges (poverty, lack of complementarities, inadequate infrastructure, fast growth of population, endemic diseases and HIV/AIDS), problems on human and resources (lack of enough man power and finance). In conclusion the regional integration process in the IGAD region is still at lower level. Thus, this study stresses that if actual and sustainable regional integration is to advance, IGAD needs further agreements to implement and achieve their goal, and it needs synchronization of national efforts to improve agricultural production, bring the region‟s conflicts under control and need to reduce it
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    A Comparative Analysis of State and Private Newspapers of National News Coverage and Representation of Newsmakers- A Case Study on Addis Zemen and Addis Admas Newspapers
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-05) Taye, Eden; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    The main aim of this research was to compare the state owned and private owned newspapers (Addis Zemen and Addis Admas) extent of coverage and representation of known and unknown newsmakers in the news. Thus, the study has tried to get answer for the above research questions by setting specific objectives:  To determine the extent of news coverage the known and unknown newsmakers receive in the news in the newspapers.  To assess the types of topics and kind of roles (as criminals, heroes, victims) given to the known and unknown newsmakers in the newspapers.  To identify the tone of coverage and representations (negative, positive and mixed) of known and unknown newsmakers in the newspapers. The analysis of data gathered through content analysis method is made by using a description method and the interview is also analyzed through different categories inferred from the interview questions and answers. The finding shows that unknown newsmakers-ordinary people and those in official positions are under- represented compared to known newsmakers in both newspapers even if the Addis Admas newspaper gives better coverage compared to the Addis Zemen newspaper; and for most part, those in official positions. When comparing the newspapers tone of coverage given to newsmakers, they are in the extreme parts; Addis Zemen gives favorable representation for both newsmakers while Addis Admas gives unfavorable representation for both newsmakers. This research finding shows that due attention should be given to the unknown newsmakers too in the newspapers coverage because by reading the news which is the actual happening, anyone can infer meaning not only about the newsmaker but also about the society and the nation at large. It would also be good if the tones of coverage and the type of topics and roles given to the newsmakers get special attention because, varying the coverage is sometimes the tool to satisfy readers‟ interest by entertaining different tones, roles and topics in the news.
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    A Critical Discourse Analysis of selected Newspaper Stories on the 2015 Nigerian Presidential Campaign
    (Addis Ababa University, 2017-01) Hagos, Rezene; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    This study attempts to analyze the discourses embedded in the news reports that a prominent Nigerian newspaper called The Nation published about the 2015 Nigerian presidential election. The news reports that have been analyzed are those published in the month before the presidential election’s date of May 28, 2015. The analysis is done by applying Critical Discourse Analysis to the newspaper reports. The analytical part begins with the exploration of the informative content of the news reports. The reports cover stories on the presidential election, the political campaign, the political parties and their respective candidates. All the news reports published by the online edition of the daily newspaper in the period under investigation were retrieved first, in order to create the repository of the reports relevant for this research. According to the findings of this study, The Nation played a very important role during the presidential campaign by consistently disseminating information aimed at shaping public opinion in support of presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari.
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    Digital Playing: A Study on The Popularity of Digital Video Play Station Games Amongest Ethiopian Children in Addis Ababa
    (Addis Ababa University, 2008-07) H/Michael, Endalkachew; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    In the midst of the dissemination of digital electronic games particularly Play Station Video games in Ethiopia since the turn of the millennium Ethiopian children have been able to be exposed to different kinds of digital video games. A noteworthy part of this Ethiopian children are from lower-class section in Addis Ababa who are exposed and attracted to the Play Station Video games produced by the time leading manufacturer of video games, the Japanese owned which is based in America ,Sony Company. Digital Playing : An Investigation into Popularity of Play Station Video Games amongst Ethiopian Children in Addis Ababa attempts to explore how the specified children in Addis Ababa, in the midst of their everyday lived reality, make meaning out of the Play Station games contents and its technology that are produced in another setting. The study, by using focus group interviews and in-depth individual interviews, explores how Ethiopian lower-class children make sense out of digital video game contents and technology as represented by Play Station video games in the context of their everyday life. The findings of the research demonstrate that Play Station video games have a significant role to play in the Convergence and Hybridizations of cultures between the global and the local. The convoluted responses of respondents reveal that there are differences in the level of play, as well as genre preference. For most of the children technology and cultures are most highly integrated .These enjoy multiple pleasures from the gaming experience including mastery of game-based computer related skills and competition. Some of the children play in order to cope with their real lives. These children reported taking pleasures in controlling the gaming environment or alternatively that games provide a needed distraction from the pleasure of their daily lives. Finally, some non-gamer female children who participated in the study expressed strong criticisms about game playing and gaming cultures. For female children, Play Station games are a west of time .However; female children who are gamers technology, gender and culture are mostly integrated .These children enjoy multiple pleasures as male children do in the research.
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    Ethiopian Newspapers’ Framing of Children’s Rights Issues: the case of Addis Admas, Addis Zemen, and Reporter
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-06) Abegaz, Betelhem; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    Millions of children in Ethiopia are exploited in different ways. Children are forced to work in factories, in back rooms, on streets, and in the sex trade. In this regard, the protection against and prevention from child abuse becomes a critical issue. Thus the media is a powerful instrument which can be used to influence those who have little concern and to do more in overcoming the problems facing such children. This study was conducted to examine how Ethiopian print media framed child right issues during September 2009 - August 2010. For this study Addis Zemen, Addis Admas and Reporter were purposefully selected for analysis. Content analysis was the major research method used in the study and hence 144 articles were analyzed. In collecting data both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. In addition to this, so as to make the data deep-rooted and tangible, in-depth interviews were conducted with the editors and journalists of the newspapers. The result of the study shows that from the analyzed articles the majority were framed in human interest and empathy frames. On the contrary, morality, conflict and economic frames were the least used frames. Meanwhile, such frames were given a better coverage on Addis Zemen than on Addis Admas and Reporter. Comparing the private ones, Addis Admas gave a better coverage on child right issue than Reporter. In addition to this, health and protection from HIV/ AIDS and protection from violence were the most frequently employed types of child right. The newspapers mostly got the information from discussions /demonstrations, and they reported the news based on these sources. It was also learnt that government officials were highly quoted in the newspapers even though the fact is not true in Addis Admas. Children were not quoted to the proper extent. Community members and police were also given very little chance to be used as source. In general the newspapers did little to inform the society what child rights issues are. The findings indicated that the media gave much attention to violation of children‟s rights and child protection more than to maintaining the rights and child protection
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    Examining The Popularity of Local Films: A Study of Audiences in Addis Ababa
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-06) Berihu, Ridwan; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    For decades the Ethiopian audiences had no choices except watching Hollywood‘s and Bollywood‘s films in cinema theatres. For decades the foreign product movies were consumed by the audiences in Ethiopia. In recent years, the film industry in Ethiopia has witnessed a major stride in terms of quantity and popularity of locally made films. This study under the title of “Examining the Popularity of Local Films, A Study of Audiences in Addis Ababa” is interested in examining the reception of the local films. The study employed qualitative method of study and participatory observation, focus group discussion, and individual in-depth interviews to gather the data. The findings of the study showed that the local audiences choose the locally made films primarily because of the language and cultural familiarities. The audiences are eager to watch the locally made films and actively participate in negotiating with the messages of the films. Moreover, the audiences are associated the messages of the films with their day to day real life. Audiences are also in favor of the culture and norm of the society, because from their response they don‘t feel comfort watching the nudity, sexual scenes, kissing in the locally made films. Moreover, the movie going culture is evidently becoming very high as a result of cultural familiarity and absence of language barriers among other things. This is consistent with theories of active audiences and audience reception in which audiences give their own interpretations and understandings based on their actively participation with the messages of the films
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    FM Radios for Social Development A Case Study of Zami FM 90.7 and Sheger FM 102.1
    (Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Chimdessa, Milkissa; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    The study aims to develop knowledge on how FM radios (private) are promoting social development issues to improve the public’s welfare. The study uses development media theory and social responsibility theory to explain the responsibility that the private broadcasters have in treating educational and socially relevant themes (pro social messages). The empirical data was collected through four focus group discussions (with a total of 22 FM radio listeners) and individual interviews (which are entirely qualitative) with two radio editors and two reporters. The Focus Group Discussion (FDG) and individual interviews were conducted from May10 to May 15, 2010. The FDG was conducted with FM radio listeners in Asko (Kolfe Karaneo sub city) and Shiromeda (Gulalle sub city) of Addis Ababa. This study treated the types of educational development programs that the FM radios broadcast, audiences’ perception to the private FM radios contribution to social development and the editors and reporters view of the radios role in enhancing educational development messages. Accordingly, the findings of this study show that the private FM radios have created programs that are entertaining, educational, socially responsible and commercially profitable. The FM radio stations devote a reasonable percentage of their broadcasting time to the discussion of public issues of interest i.e. educational and socially relevant issues. The radio stations have been reflecting and promoting local identity, character and culture by focusing on local content. They are also assisting the dissemination of expert and social knowledge on topics of interest to general listeners as well as NGOs and other institutions engaged in social transformation in Ethiopia. These FM radio stations have been successful in bringing educational development issues in to public deliberations. The study also found that the FM radio stations produce radio programs jointly with development partners who work on development and broadcast a variety of educational development themes over the last two years. The educational development themes that the FM radio stations broadcast include culture (language and literature, music and poetry) and environmental issues, health education, family planning, gender issues, science and technology, rights of the disabled, marriage and family values. These various educational development themes are being disseminated through many popular program formats such as talk shows, chat shows, commentaries, magazine formats, drama and music. Now listeners give feedback and participate in the production of these programs through various channels and these have included phone calls, text messaging, email messages and personal visits. The interpretation and analysis as well as the conclusions of this study are based on the theories of development advanced by development communication scholars as treated in chapter two of this paper.
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    An Investigation into the Reception of English Premier League Games by Ethiopian Youth in Addis Ababa
    (Addis Ababa University, 2009-06) Mekonnen, Dereje; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    In the midst of the broadcasting of football games particularly the English Premier League games in Ethiopia recently youth have been exposed to different kinds of foreign produced media products. It is obvious that Ethiopia, as part of the world-wide trend of influence brought about by globalization, is subject to a situation marked by the increased flow into the country and consumption by the local audience of foreign- produced media products. While at this time English Premier League games take lead in terms of consumption rates of foreign media products. This study, in particular, under the title of ‘’An Investigation into the Reception of English Premier League Games by Ethiopian Youth in Addis Ababa’’ is interested in investigating the web of meanings that arise from the viewing of English Premier League among Ethiopian youth. With this end in view, the study employed observation, focus group interviews, and individual in-depth interviews to gather the data needed to make sense of the youth’s viewing experience. The findings of the study show that youth in their interaction with media contents transmitted in settings far from theirs, actively interpret them in light of the subjective values, aspirations and concerns within their lives. What the youth’s own responses reveal is that the plurality of meanings they make when viewing English Premier League games represent a challenge to the premises of the media imperialism thesis, which put forward the homoginizating role of the Developed countries media in terms of propagating developed countries values and interests at the expense of the developing countries like Ethiopia. The concept of homogenization fails to accurately describe the consumption of foreign media messages by local audiences. The research also shows that the coming into the picture of such regional media as produced by nations like Great Britain raises the question whether media imperialism thesis is adequate in terms of explaining the overwhelmingly complicated global exchange
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    The Psychosocial and Economic Impact of Parkinson’s disease On People Infected and Affected by the Disease
    (Addis Ababa University, 2014-06-23) Asfaw, Helen; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    Parkinson‘s Disease (PD) is one of the life threatening diseases that impede the health condition of people around the world. The disease does not discriminate color, age and sex. According to various studies males are most likely exposed by PD than females. The prevalence rate in Ethiopia is unknown where as many studies conducted worldwide affirmed that one in five hundred people are infected by PD regardless of their age. The exact cause of PD is unknown but the loss of dopamine in the brain is the primary contributing factor for a person to experience Parkinson‘s Disease. Many studies agree that being at the age of sixty and living in toxic environment are the contributing factors for PD. The disease is characterized by tremors, slow voice, wriggling movement, communication difficulties. PD patients are suffering with multifaceted challenges. This study ‗the psychosocial and economic impact of Parkinson‘s on people infected and affected by the disease‘‘ is the first of its kind in the field of social work as well for the social science. The author relied on qualitative study with exploratory nature and Addis Ababa is the center of this study that engaged dwellers from ten sub-cities. This study involved eighteen adults living with PD, four careers and three Neurologists. The modus of operandi applied to collect the data are Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and case studies. The finding of this study indicated that PD has brought multilayered psycho-social and economic impact on patients, family members as well as their close relatives. It was observed that the majority of the patients living with PD either experiencing early retirement, self-stigmatization, introvert behaviors, subjective experience of time, lonesomeness, depression, social anxiety and etc., divorce, frequent quarrel with family members, refrain oneself from social gathering, unable to deliver the social and communal commitments, wrong interpretation of PD, unable to make love and give birth are some of the daily challenges of the people with PD. The author also found out that PD information among family members, careers and the community members are still at infant stage; the public and private Medias are silent about the subject
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    Publishing Private Daily Newspaper in Addis Ababa: Post-1991 Challenges and Prospects
    (Addis Ababa University, 2011-10) Ejigu, Frezer; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    During the last two decades in Ethiopia a daily private newspaper has not evolved except Eletawi Addis (Addis Daily) which lasted practically for a year. The purpose of this study is to find an economic explanation as to why daily private newspapers fail to evolve in Ethiopia. Commodification, an entry-point in the study of a political economy of communication dictates the research. A decade being the dividing line, two newspapers each are randomly selected from the first and the second decade, and another newspaper, unlike other newspapers which has either stayed for the longest years or remained in the market without interruption from entry-point to the present is part of the study. Hence, the advertising content, the motives and the commercialization throughout the years in the selected five newspapers has been studied from the first year of operation with two years interval till the exit years for the two newspapers of the first decade and till 2009/10 for the rest three. A qualitative indepth interview has also been conducted with advertising and marketing department heads and editors-in-chief in order to add to the richness of the data available from the quantitative content analysis. It has been found out that advertising following an increase in the early years has decreased towards the end of the first decade while in the second decade advertising has steadily increased in all the three newspapers. It should be noted that in all the five newspapers with the increasing advertising, news element has always been in a decreasing trend both in the first and second decade. This is a clear indication that the private weekly press throughout the years rather than providing news stories progressively to the public, their concern has shifted to advertising and contents that are not truly news such as entertainment and opinion. Hence, it could be concluded that though the private press beginning from the early years of existence has quickly familiarized itself with commodification, advertising has remained both a challenge as in the case of Tobiya, Tomar, and Mesenazeriya and a prospect for Reporter and Ethio Channel. In general, advertising that challenged the private newspaper market has significantly contributed for a daily not to evolve.
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    The role television can play in Early Childhood Development: an in-depth investigation of Tsehai Loves Learning
    (Addis Ababa University, 2008-11) Issayas, Tsion; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD); Seip, Elsie (PhD)
    This study is an inquiry into the use of television as a tool for education. The area of early childhood development is taken as a particular case of the study for the reason that it is an under-researched field. To gain a deeper understanding of the issue, the study is based on a local children's television program called Tsehai Loves Learning. The study is guided by theories of child education. The different approaches taken in the education of the child are seen as relevant literature for the purpose of this study. The researcher has collected data using qualitative research methods of in-depth interview and document analysis. Accordingly, interviews were carried out with key informants from the Ethiopian Television and Whiz Kids Production to shed lights on the issues affecting them. Also, documents such as the Education and Training Policy, the Kindergarten Syllabus and Whiz Kids objectives and missions documents have been analyzed. The study has found out that Early Childhood Development, which is included in the preschool education system in Ethiopia, is a grossly neglected field and solutions and alternative routes of educating children have not been exploited. also, through the process of this study, it has been discovered that the government is not doing its share in supporting the initiatives of the private sector in an attempt to expand Early Childhood Education. It has also been revealed that using television as an educational tool for children is not yet appreciated and the Ethiopian Television itself does not give due attention to programs for children.
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    What News Journalists Have Selected Overtime? The Case of English Daily Newspapers
    (Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Ameha, Semere; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    For which news ideas do the Ethiopian daily English newspapers provide priority is one of among the most important questions that need to be addressed in the media study. It is frequent to see common news topics in the individual newspapers. It is vital examining what values are intrinsic for the worth of incoming news stories to give them space. A front-page news event in a particular newspaper might not appear in the other newspapers. The study provides remarkable insight in examining major questions dealing with what news editors in the Ethiopian Herald and the Daily Monitor have selected overtime and why? Like in any other media, both newspapers receive mass of news stories every day from various sources, and the editors of these newspapers select certain news rejecting the majority overwhelming. There are common traditional news values which used to measure the worthiness of a story. To which values do the two newspapers give priority and other related questions are also discussed in the study. Both newspapers dedicate much of their space to different news topics. News which considered as worth report in the Daily Monitor’s pages may not receive any space in the Ethiopian Herald. While the Ethiopian Herald gives focus for stories about economic activities and intensely development, the Daily Monitor provides more space to politics, sport and conflict news. Beside the news values, there are other factors that influence the selection of news like ownership, news source and space.