The Impact of Social Media on Newsmaking Process at Oromia Broadcasting Network: Facebook in Focus
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Date
2018-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study was aimed at examining the impact of social media, mainly Facebook on newsmaking
process at Oromia Broadcasting Network Television. The relevant theoretical frameworks
employed for the topic were information network theory, media convergence theory and
technological determinism/McLuhan’s media ecology.
Qualitative data gathering techniques of structured interview and overt observation were
employed to undertake the study. Using purposive sampling technique, 30 newsroom
practitioners were selected for the interview. Structured interview was employed mainly to get
reliable data that can enable the researcher to examine whether there are social media impacts
on newsmaking process in mainstream media, while observation was used to get preliminary
information on newsmaking activities at OBN TV newsroom and for cross-checking
interviewees’ responses. The data was collected from April to May 2018 and analyzed
qualitatively by using discursive strategy informed by the chosen theoretical frameworks.
The study reveals that Facebook exerts influence on TV newsmaking process through either
feeding updated information or killing the news story; it especially poses a challenge with regard
to determining news angle. Social media, especially Facebook threw out the traditional
principles of newsmaking process employed in the mainstream media for providing breaking
news.
What is more, Facebook exerts a profound influence on newsgathering and editorial decision
making process besides challenging the principle of journalistic verification in order to ascertain
the truthfulness of the story. Further, although the organization is multi-channeled, the
broadcaster’s journalists were busy feeding a single medium; however, social media/Facebook
often employs a converged multi-media journalism. Thus, based on the findings, some pertinent
recommendations are suggested.
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Keywords
Social Media on Newsmaking Process, Network: Facebook in Focus