Coverage of Climate Change Issue between Private and Public Ethiopian Media the Case of Ethiopia Radio and Fana Fm 98.1

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Date

2020-06

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

This research examines the practices and challenges of climate change issue coverage in the public media that focuses on the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation national radio and private media Fana broadcasting corporate Fana fm 98.1. Specifically, the study explores the extent of coverage on climate change issue in private and public media programs. Agenda setting and framing were employed as theoretical frameworks of the study. The study has employed a qualitative method for data collection and analysis. The practices and challenges of climate change issue coverage in private and public media have been examined through focus group discussion and group discussion, with program producer journalists and in interviews with editors in the studied media. In addition, observation and content analyses of climate change programs were carried out. The study revealed that Public media, Ethiopian Radio, was found having permanent radio program for climate change but the coverage was found inadequate. In the case of private media; Fana fm 98.1 have not permanent program. Most of climate change program of Fana fm 98.1 were event oriented and gave coverage for both domestic and foreign climate change issues. For public media most of the stories were planned and focused on domestic climate change and environmental issues. The findings generally indicate that both private and public media has given inadequate coverage to climate change issues. In both of the studied private and public media environmental and climate change journalists have lacked professional training on climate change related issues and this was a challenge in climate change reporting. In addition, lack of attention for specialization incorrect report which is released from government and non-governmental organizations and lack of valid source and logistic was found to be the challenges to adequately cover climate change. The study concluded that the extent media gives for climate change issue should be strengthened to enhance public awareness about climate change and its impacts.

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Keywords

climate change, media, awareness, public, private, coverage

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