Acceptability and implementation of Development Journalism: the case of Radio Ethiopia.
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research attempts to assess the level of acceptability as well as the level of
implementation of development journalism by Radio Ethiopia in general and
development journalists in particular. It mainly examines the views, perceptions
and experiences of development journalists by using in-depth interviews, focused
group discussions, personal observation and document review.
In the in-depth interviews and focused group discussions deliberately selected
development journalists were made to reflect their genuine views and
perceptions concerning development and development journalism, and the
relevance of practicing development journalism in the media. They were also
made to reflect their role perceptions and their practical roles as a development
journalist. As for the emphasis given to rural development reporting in the
Ethiopian government media, Radio Ethiopian journalists also reflected much
about the level of emphasis the media and journalists have given to rural
development reporting in particular. In this regard, intensity of their inspiration
and the media's tendencies in assigning journalists to rural have been analyzed.
The research also attempted to examine the major challenges throughout the
practice of development journalism.
The findings show that development journalism is well-accepted as relevant and
essential to the media, and hence, to Ethiopia. Yet it is misrepresented by
deconstructing and then reconstructing it in a way it looses its widely accepted
versions which allow significant amount of criticality. Moreover, development
journalism is mistreated and the quality of the practice has not been adequately
valued by potential stakeholders: the government, the media, journalists, and
journalism education schools in Ethiopia. At the end, the research suggests
possible pOints of action as to secure the acceptability and the quality of the
practice of development journalism in Ethiopia.
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Keywords
Development Journalism, Radio Ethiopia