The Influence of Ethnically-Laced Media Messages in the Spread of Ethno-Biases: Perspectives from Development Communicators
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Date
2015-02
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Daystar University
Abstract
This study focused on finding out the extent to which ethno-nationalist messages, in particular those cascaded by media, influenced development communicators. From the evidence adduced in this research, media messages that elicited ethno-bias elements influenced the perceptions of development communicators. The findings reveal that development communicators responded to ethno-bias messages from the media. The findings also show that when negative ethnicity was broadcasted, development communicators picked up on such, to the extent that 90 % of those canvassed admitted that their practice and professionalism was influenced by ethno-biased views which were diffused through media messages. The health or otherwise of this level of influence was interrogated by applying the standards of Mefalopulos’ (2008) Development Communication Methodological Framework and Application Module (DCMFAM), which says the development communicator is supposed to be a consensus-builder, bridging the aspirations of all sides, and generating, collating, and disseminating relevant information to all parties, including the media, in a way that promotes positive social change. The priming theory (Fiske & Taylor, 1991) was also operationalized to tease out media influences on the exercise of development communicators’ consensus-building mandates. Through the use of questionnaires and interview schedules, the perspectives of development communicators were drawn from various development agencies and organizations. The study found that due to the influence of media messages in the spread of ethno-nationalism, 90 % of the development communicators who shared their perspectives acknowledged the influence of negative ethnicity via messages diffused through the media. The other 10 % admitted that, in most cases, they were influenced by media messages but were determined to be objective in their professionalism. The permutations of this for the professional practice of development communicators answered the inherent
question in the research topic: ethno-biased media messages do have a substantial influence, including on development communicators.
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Thesis
Keywords
Ethnically-Laced Media Messages, Ethno-Biases, Development Communicators
Citation
Ngusale Hilda Imali (2015) The Influence of Ethnically-Laced Media Messages in the Spread of Ethno-Biases: Perspectives from Development Communicators: Daystar University school of communication: Thesis