Abstract:
Since the liberalisation of the airwaves in Ghana in the 1990s, most of the news was broadcast in English language. Currently, local language radio has gained popularity among Ghanaian audiences and has become the most preferred source of news and information. However, there have been several complaints that local language news is a deviation from the norm and is different from English language news. This study explored the similarities and differences in the news routines of the newsrooms of a local and an English language radio station in Ghana (Adom F.M. and Joy F.M. respectively) because the two stations belong to the same media company and have the same guiding philosophies. The study explored the role news routines play in contributing to differences in the news of the two radio stations. The study as well investigated the extent to which the two newsrooms abide by professional standards in the course of their routine practices as they also contribute to shaping the news.
The study which adopted the case study and ethnographic approaches combined participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentary reviews to collect data. The study found that even though most of the news routines of Adom F.M. and Joy F.M. are similar, there are some key differences in their newsroom practices. The study also found that in the course of news production, Joy newsroom tended to adhere more closely to set down professional standards than Adom newsroom. The study concluded that differences in news routines such as selection and presentation, together with some internal and external factors contribute to differences in the news of Adom F.M. and Joy F.M.
The study recommended that the two newsrooms are involved in discussions on how best to improve upon their practices in order to ensure that the news transmitted to their audiences is not compromised and in the case of Adom maintain professionalism.
