Factors Affecting Agenda Setting Process in Media: News in Focus on Etv 57
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Date
2024-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research studied the factors that affect the agenda setting process in media taking Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, Ethiopian Television Etv 57 news show case. Researchers conducted in a similar context both in domestic and abroad shown that there are a number of factors that challenge the agenda setting process of a given media house, particularly mainstream ones.
Authoritarian interferences and manipulations, the concept of propaganda replacing agenda setting process and serving an ideology and the powerful instead of the public are some to mention. The challenge exacerbates when it is a public or state media that has direct contact or affiliation with authorities in charge.
This research then tried to examine if Etv news channel faces similar challenges as it is prevalent set by the other scholarly similar analysis state and its hypothesis preset. It tried to unveil the major factors contesting the process and purpose of Etv news channel. In executing its course of action, the researcher guided its analysis by the appropriate theoretical frame works throughout the course of the study to test the hypothesis set in advance.
The research sampled and analyzed news contents aired as agenda setting in specified period of time and interviewed in-depth six purposefully selected informants. The researcher found mixed methodology of analysis, i.e. qualitative majorly and quantitative in supplement of qualifiable nuances of the subject with certain numeric figures that have only qualifying role of the critical analysis best suits the subject matter. Contents of sampled data and in-depth interview are interpreted, inductively argued and rhetorically analyzed in a way that can produce valid and reliable out comes.
Based on this course, the final part of the study shown that Etv's news channel agenda setting process is pregnant of factors that affect its agenda processing as per the hypothesis suggested. The interference and manipulation of authorities, limitation or imbalance of agenda news sources, self- censorship and lack of editorial problem are found to be some major courses affecting the newsroom's agenda setting process. Most of the interviewees explained that they didn't feel Etv as owned by and stand for the public. Based on their information and the researcher's other analysis including her observation Etv's news room is serving the interests of government authorities in charge making it qualify the nuances of apparatus of ideology and propagations.
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Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, Ethiopian Television Etv 57 news