Public Relations Professionalism in FDRE Ministries: A Study on Four Ministerial Offices
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to appraise the PRs professionalism practice in FDRE
government ministries through such dimensions of PRs professionalism including
professional education, availability of standards and code of ethics, autonomy, serving
the public interest and existence of professional association. The study assessed four
FDRE ministries PRs directorates by using a cross sectional survey study among the
existing 20 ministries in the country. It used a descriptive method based on purposive
sampling which is part of a non random technique. The study is a mixed type of study but
inclined more towards a qualitative style having quantitative aspect. The study result
grabbed from 30 questionnaires distributed for the PRs practitioners, five FGDs made
with PRs practitioners and five interviews data conducted with three PRs directors in the
target study area as well as two informants at AAU, SJC. Since this study is an appraisal
about the professionalism of PRs; it is not expected to be a comprehensive study about
PRs professionals’ themselves or issues related with professionalization uphill of the PRs
profession. In relation to the education background of the PRs practitioners the study
finding shows among the 30 questionnaire respondents 25 (80.6%) of them have BA/BSc
and four (12.9%) of them are MA holders. Again among the total 30 respondents 17
(57%) of the practitioners were teachers, three (9.7%) of them came from journalism and
communication, and 10 (33.3%) joined from a wide-ranging of work background. Even
though there is a reasonable educational background and prior work experience; the
actual PRs practice lacks attention, understood by the public as a governmentmouthpiece, lacks skillful practitioners, didn’t maintain by extensive professional
training, follow-up and care from the government and lacks center of excellence for its
professional growth and experience sharing among practitioners. Besides to this, the
usage of standards for PRs work is found at low level since the actual situation is
dominated by customary practice than strategic issues in each organization. Independent
work and role in stakeholders’ activities also face bottlenecks to the PRs professionalism
practice. The only positive result obtained from the study is the existence of practitioners’
attitude to serve the public at large. Nonetheless, the FGDs and interviews conducted
with PRs practitioners; PRs directors and academicians at AAU, SJC so as to triangulate
the data confirm that PRs has to wait long time to attain a professional status. It is found
at its infant stage in the FDRE ministries and thus it needs to get favorable situation from
the government, nurtured by PRs association and feed by higher institutions. At last, the
student researcher believes the study would give a glimpse of facts about PRs
professionalism in FDRE government ministries and help to point out the PRs
professionalism gap in relation to the actual standard usage and ethical level of the
professionals. Besides to this, it surely used as a springboard to further studies either by
Ethiopians or overseas informants in the field of PRs professionalism in other
governmental offices as well as private organizations.
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Keywords
Journalisme