Social Media and Journalism: Journalists and Media Outlets’ Use of Social Media Networks in Ethiopia
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Date
2015-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study aims at examining social media and journalism with particular focus on journalists’ and media
outlets’ use of social media networks in the Ethiopian context. The network society, public sphere, and
network(ed) journalism theoretical frameworks were used to inform the study. Both quantitative and
qualitative research methods were adopted for the study where survey questionnaire, interview and
observation were used as specific methods for gathering the data.
A survey questionnaire was administered to 145 journalists selected through a random sampling
technique, whereas in-depth interview was held with 17 journalists, editors, and media managers working
at three media institutions. Furthermore, an email interview was conducted with a media researcher. An
observation was also carried out by the researcher for gathering firsthand information, and descriptive
statistics was employed to analyze the quantitative data.
The finding shows that journalists use social media for various purposes, such as for getting a new idea,
to stay connected to the world, for personal and professional development; however, journalists’ use of
the social media for professional purpose is marred with challenges. Their participation in discussion on
social media is not as much of and they have no demarcation for personal and professional use of social
media. The infamous traditional problem of journalists – self censorship, has migrated to online with
journalists due to the new discourse of fear – surveillance and censorship. Hence, journalists kept silent,
mainly, consuming social media contents while media outlets provide. As off line media outlets are not
encouraging journalists to use social media, the journalists are forced to adopt a dual identity: one identity
for the social media and one identity for the mainstream media.
The study also reveals that although there were differences in the use of social media among media
outlets, they were not exploiting the opportunity as they ought to have been owing to various problems.
What is more, the study shows that the rise of social media is posing a serious challenge to state-owned as
well as private media institutions in Ethiopia. On the basis of such findings, the study has suggested
pertinent recommendations with the view to coping up with the fast changing global media landscape.
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Keywords
Journalists and Media Outlets