Audience Perception of the Private Press Environment in Ethiopia Since 2005
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Date
2016-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study surveys audience perception of the private press environment in Ethiopia -since 2005.
With an objective of outlining its major features and addressing the problems in the private press
sector of the country, the study tries to answer two research questions that deal with audience
perception of the roles and responsibilities of journalists of the private press and the press
institutions and their views on the practical roles and challenges of the private press in Ethiopia
since2005. The study has used quantitative and qualitative methods. To that end, questionnaires
were distributed among IOO respondents and in depth interviews were made with six informants.
In addition to that different documents have been used as important sources of data. The findings
have shown that among the largest number of respondents journalists of the private press and
the press institutions are perceived as having multiple key roles to play and a higher degree of
responsibility to shoulder as compared to other parts of a society. The largest number of
respondents and informants believe that the private press in Ethiopia played a -bigger role
before the 2005 national elections compared with their role in the period since then. The study
has also identified,' the failure to provide accurate information, lack of professional competence,
lack of professional ethics and a professional analytic approach and limited financial and
institutional capacity as the major internal challenges and restrictive laws (increasing pressure
from the government), low development of democratic culture, problems related to market and
publishing and the absence of many institutions for journalism education and training as the
major external challenges of the private press in Ethiopia particularly since 2005. The study
concludes that the media situation that prevailed since the 2005 national elections has made it
increasingly difficult for the private press in Ethiopia to playa meaningfiti role as vital sources
of information, as instruments for exercising freedom of expression and democracy and as a
watch-dog.
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Keywords
Private, Press Environment, Ethiopia