An Investigation of The Practice of Journalism in Ethiopian Television
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Date
2013-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main focus of this study was to investigate the practice of journalism in Ethiopian Television
(ETV). The study examined whether ETV practices journalism or public relations. It assessed
how journalists find discrepancies between journalism and public relations and the impact of
public relations on journalism practice. It was also the main objective of this study to
investigate the factors that affect news and source selection. Data was collected using qualitative
and quantitative content analysis as well as in-depth interview. A total of 147 news stories ETV
broadcast were selected purposely from the first two weeks of three months news stories
(December, 2012 up to February, 2013). The findings of the study showed that most of the news
was event and development oriented. As a result, very few news stories were critical of the
government and most news deals with success stories. The selected news stories revealed that
most of the news stories were presented not from the public interest point of view, but from the
government interest view. The study further revealed that ETV’s journalists were cognizant of
the differences between journalism and public relations. However, due to lack of journalistic
independence in the media, journalists were coerced to select news and sources which served
government interest. Journalists were influenced to report the positive sides of government and
conceal the wrong doings of government officials. The findings of the study also indicated that
ETV’s use of public relations as one of sources of news tainted the practice of journalism
because both journalism and public relations are quite different in purpose. Overall, the study
concluded that the principles of journalism, like; the obligation to the truth and loyalty to
citizens were, not portrayed in ETV. Rather the media served as the major rhetorical tool for the
government. ETV’s practice reflects the principles and purposes of the government public
relations.
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Keywords
Practice of Journalism