NGO-Media Interaction on Addressing Development Issues on the News Media: Malnutrition in Perspective
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Date
2015-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study is an endeavor to combine theoretical and pragmatic understanding of the multiple
realities ofNGO-Media relationship and interactions. It tried to investigate the everyday politics
that take place between the media and NGOs and its possible implications on the development
debate. Poole's Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) and Hirokawa and Gouran's Functional
Perspective on Group Decision Making Theory were employed as theoretical framework. To put
the implications of the interaction into realistic context of the development debate, the study also
engaged the concept of development communication and development journalism. In order to
obtain relevant data the study used purely qualitative method and methodology. Data were
collected through in-depth interviews, key-informants interviews, focus group di scussion,
document reviews and personal observations. A covert observational research method helped the
researcher's observations to be integrated into the analysis. Data were collected from seven
media institutions and nine Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The media institutions
and the Non-Governmental Organizations were selected based on purposeful and convenience
sampling methods. The NGOs were selected based on their active intervention programs on
malnutrition issues and their relatively active relationship with the media. The media, on the
other hand, were selected to be inclusive of all varieties i.e state and private media, print and
broadcast media. The combinations of this selection method provided four categories: private
print, government print, pri vate broadcast and government broadcast. A total of 7 media
organizations, 8 NGOs and 4 key individuals informed the research. The in-depth interviews
were conducted with media editors and NGO communication officers. The focus group
discussion was conducted with reporters. The collected data were then systematically analyzed
using the theoretical framework and related studies. The analysis addressed the researchquestions through thematic categories that have grown out of the data during and after the data
collection, Accordingly, the findings of the study led to the understanding that NGO-Media
interaction has a number of limitations which contribute to the depoliticizing of the debate on
development issues, The findings greatly agree to the premise that NGO-media interaction has
very limited collaboration from both sectors, It was found out that their interaction is mostly
lacking mutual trust and dominated by prejudices and wrong attitudes, This lack of trust and
transparency limits the possible areas of collaboration mainly their watchdog roles thereby
resulting depoliticized development debate, The depoliticizing effect may apply across the board
to all development issues and sectors though the study was focused on malnutrition only, The
study also highlighted that the relationship between NGOs and state media is mostly affected by
the relationship between government and NGOs and the government and media which,
according to related studies, is not yet of a promising situation, The study strongly suggested
proactive dialogue as a first step of identifying their common grounds to work together.
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Keywords
NGO-Media, Addressing Development Issues, News Media, Malnutrition