Comparative Assessment of factors Affecting Journalist’s Freedom in Ethiopia: The Case of Ahadu Radio and Fana FM.
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Date
2021-09
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research paper aims to assess the factors that influence journalist’s freedom in the media
houses by comparing two commercial media. The reasons that initiated the researcher to study
on the factors affecting journalistic freedom is that while the media has a responsibility to
provide information to the community and Media versions of reality have the potential to
influence public opinion and decision making processes the researcher observe, the coverage of
different poltical and social topics in the selected media house (Ahadu radio and Fana FM) are
unalike intermes of journalistic principle, after the country political change (reform). Therefore
who has and who does not have access to the media and can make their voice heard is a crucial
question with serious political consequences. The study is free from any personal opinion and
follows a research principle. To address the research objective purposive and proportional
sampling technique was used. The respondents were selected based on their better
understanding for the subject and based on their work experience. From the total population 89
sampled journalists were selected. 89 questioners were distributed. Among 89 questionnaires
about 85 respondents were accurately filled. Data gathered were analyzed based on these 85
responses using SPSS 23 software package. Descriptive statistics research approach was
employed. All out puts were reported using frequency. The result indicates that both media
analysis indicates that Government Intervention, Journalist are afraid of prison and threat
commonly affect journalist freedom. However, editor interference affects journalist freedom in
Fana FM than Ahadu radio. Ahadu radio uses journalist observation for its news sources than
Fana FM radio. Ahadu radio uses people’s view and public issues for its news source but Fana
FM did not use peoples view. Ahadu radio uses different professionals view for its news source
but Fana FM could not frequently use different professionals view as its news sources. The
study recommended that Fana FM radio must amend and revise media’s editorial policies, and
revising rules and regulations of media. Fana FM radio must reduce editors’ role in selecting
what journalists select to cover the news story, or rather that the editors select the story for
journalist they must engage in developing the story the best level. The government officials also
must give sufficient information for different private media For the Freedom of journalist
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Keywords
Ahadu radio, Editors influence, Factors affecting, Government interventions, Fana FM radio, Journalist freedom