Simon, Gebremedhin (PhD)Bekele, Gebeyehu2018-06-282023-11-082018-06-282023-11-082011-05http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/4584The development of the internet and flexible new media technology profoundly changed the level of information exchange. This study elicited the interface of new media technology in the case of ERTA/ETV newsroom. The study tried to examine the extent to which new media technology is employed at ERTA/ ETV newsroom. Since ERTA is a national figure, this study is believed to show the new media technology functionality in Ethiopia. To generate appropriate data, both qualitative and quantitative research methods are employed. Three different tools namely FGDs, questionnaire and observations were employed. For the questionnaire, by using availability sampling, out of the total 450 newsroom staff, 200 research subjects who were on duty during the data collection dates were taken. The available members were taken because all newsroom staffers perform similar jobs and own more or less equivalent capabilities in running newsroom activities. Thus, no significant effect hampered the research outcome. Moreover, 10 and 8 discussants participated in the first and the second focus group discussions respectively. In the mean time, a two weeks observation was carried out to fill the gaps and triangulate the data which were gathered by the questionnaire and the FGDs. .Finally, the findings revealed that new media technology is employed at ERTA/ETV newsroom to gather process and disseminate news. Furthermore, ERTA was found to own a combination of different media technology experts and journalism practitioners. However, the extent and coordination of the infrastructure, the available new media technology devices and the number of computers to staff ratio were far behind the demand. In accordance with this, a significant number of the respondents expressed their dissatisfaction of the state of affairs of the situation of the new media technology infrastructure and the equipment in the newsroom. The study revealed that the majority of the respondents viewed the internet optimistically and explained that it practically simplified their job. xi To sum up, the study recommended that the utilization of the new media technology should be the top priority and a basic tool for the smooth operation of the newsroom. This would be the most advantageous if humanware, hardware and software are sufficiently provided and well integrated for the proper function. A newsroom, like that of the ERTA/ETV, in the age of information, can cope with the challenges of modern broadcasting if the resources of the new media technology were properly introduced and the skilled human resources to handle such resources is made available.enTechnology in EthiopiaThesis