Entertainment-Education and Audience Responses The Case of Menta-Menged Radio Serial Drama in Ethiopia
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Date
2008-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study attempts to explore entertainment-education (E-E) radio drama
audience responses/reactions, their motivating factors in writing letters to
the drama and the relationship between audience responses and over all
program goals of the drama, Menta Menged (Crossroads), in Ethiopia.
Because entertainment-education mass media programs which aim at
promoting pro-social behavior attract huge audiences both in listening and
participating due to their entertainment and educational functions, this
study explores these audiences’ feedback with the aim to understand the
kind of relationship that exists between audiences and the radio drama. The
data was collected through a textual or qualitative content analysis of
audience letters, and focus group discussions with audience members; and
it was qualitatively analyzed and discussed. The data showed that
audiences typically have four kinds of reactions: commentaries,
appreciations, associations and reflections with the drama, characters and
actors. Furthermore, a number of motivating factors, in addition to the
drama (both the messages and model characters), influenced audiences to
respond to the drama and involved in the writing of letters. Interestingly,
their reactions are mixed when compared to the program’s intended
outcomes on audience behaviors.
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Keywords
Entertainment-Education