Analysis of Newsroom Management: The Case of ETV News Channel
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Date
2021-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study entitled Analysis of newsroom management: the case of ETV news channel, gives analysis on how ETV newsroom operates. Thus the aim of this paper is to examine ETV news channel newsroom management and analyze of the relationship between newsroom management and the final output of news. Qualitative research paradigm has been used as a method of study. Since qualitative research is deemed appropriate to examining words and ideas and as it is helpful to explain complex social phenomena. Accordingly, in-depth interviews, document review and participant observations were conducted. The interviewees were selected purposefully with the intent to engage both genders and all job categories. Moreover, both active and passive participants of the newsroom were also included based on the researcher’s observation. Overall, the researcher conducted the in-depth interview with 10 members of the newsroom including two top managers. The other respondents include three reporters with titles from reporter one to three, four editors and deputy executive editor in-chefs and one news presenter. From these, three of them are female. Each of the interviewee was given an average time of 50 minutes. Being colleague to all the interviewees has in many ways benefited the researcher in the course of the in-depth interviews. The respondents shared their ideas freely and in a friendly manner which enabled the researcher to ask many follow-up questions. Data were also gathered through participatory observation. The researcher noted a single day of the newsroom activity. Starting from the morning editorial conference to the night ETV 57 news show. Issues regarding the newsroom wrote on EBC editorial and content reform document used as data for this research.The major finding of the study indicated that the overall system of the management has an impact on the output of the news channel. Problems in the newsroom started from the government, not the management. There is a huge intervention by the government but not in a formal way. Informal interventions break the system, content, and format of ETV news. On the other major finding of the study, the transition time can take as an example of working with existing infrastructure and show the capacity of managers and journalists at the station. The "transition" time of government gives freedom to the newsroom. The newsroom was working professionally. Bing free from government and government officials’ interference has a contribution to the effectiveness of the newsroom. Based on the analysis, the limited number of editors in the newsroom and the incompetence of the existing ones have affected the work. The fact that income and financial capacity are equally important to content has put a strain on the operation of the newsroom.
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Management: the Case of Etv News Channel