Department of Communication Studies
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Item Promotional Practices Among Micro Shea Butter Businesses in Northern Ghana(University of Ghana, 2023) Issahaku, B.This study adopts a qualitative research approach and the Technology-Organization-Environment theoretical lens to examine how shea butter micro-businesses in Northern Ghana use marketing communication tools to promote their offerings. The objective was to find out the specific promotion tools they used and to document the benefits and challenges these businesses face in promoting themselves. Using in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion, the study found that micro shea butter businesses use a combination of promotional mix elements. That is to say, these businesses weave in two or more tools of the promotional mix, which are, personal selling, advertising, public relations, and publicity among others in order to reach their target markets. Generally, their tendency is to shun traditional advertising in favor of online advertising.Item Media Forming Habits of the People of Birim Central Municipality Around “Information Centres”(University of Ghana, 2023) Frimpong, A,G,The study examined the media forming habits of the people of Birim Central Municipality around Information Centres, an improvised set up that uses an assembly of loudspeakers, amplifiers and console to disseminate information across large areas. The Information Centres have captured attention due to their growing presence across the country. Underpinned by the Uses and Gratification and Media Ecology theoretical frameworks, it explored the people’s diverse knowledge, perception and engagement with these centers as well as the specific needs that the centers gratify. it also explored the views of consumers on the relevance of the centers in comparison with other communication platforms like radio. A sample size of 150 residents from five communities namely: Community 2, Aboabo, Towobotom, Srodai and Oda Nkwanta were surveyed. The study found that the respondents have sufficient knowledge about Information Centres. Averagely respondents engage with Information Centres more as listeners, and that they often listen to them in the morning. It also found that the specific needs Inform ation Centres gratify for consumers include advertisement, entertainment announcement, information and education with information and announcement being the major needs they gratify. Comparing Information Centres with radio regarding the needs they gratify it was revealed that Information Centres gratify more of information and announcement needs to the respondents than the radio. It also found that generally consumers have positive perception about Information Centres.Item “It Began With A Dm”: A Study Of Young Ghanaian Twitter Users’ Search For Intimacy Online(University Of Ghana, 2020-07) Asare, N.A.G.Recent statistics have shown a rapid growth in the use of social networking sites among Africa’s youth (Ngwainmbi, 2017). The increasing popularity of these sites highlights how social networking sites have gradually become a place of convergence (Hughes and Palen, 2009), making these sites powerful social intermediaries which mediate how people meet, maintain and negotiate their relationships. This study sought to explore how young Ghanaian adults use Twitter for self-presentation, to create, negotiate, and maintain their intimate relationships, to express their sexual agency and to redefine the traditional codes of intimacy by drawing on the theory of impression management. Using in-depth interviews conducted with 12 young Ghanaian Twitter users, the study found out that young Ghanaian Twitter users use the tool in very similar ways to negotiate their online-based intimate relationships. The findings revealed that Twitter has different implications for how relationships at different stages of evolution are conducted and is enabling a change in the way love and intimate relationships are conducted traditionally.Item An Assessment Into The Relevance Of Public Relations In Tertiary Institutions In West Africa: The Case Of Ghanaian And Nigerian Universities(University Of Ghana, 2021-10) Kyei, M.A.This study examined the relevance of public relations in tertiary institutions in two West African countries— Ghana and Nigeria. The study was undertaken within the framework of the excellence theory. A qualitative in-depth interview was employed for data collection. Six institutions were purposively sampled — three in Ghana and three in Nigeria. The study noted that functions performed by the public relations units in the selected institutions are media and community relations, internal communication and content management. Tenets of the excellence theory were used as parameters to establish the relevance of public relations in tertiary institutions. The findings revealed that in some institutions, the senior public relations executive is a member of the dominant coalition. Again, it was revealed that the public relations units also perform other functions outside the core PR duties. Some challenges faced by the public relations units are inadequate funds and lack of qualified personnel and equipment. The fundamental parameters of the excellence theory were met hence the excellent practice of public relations in the selected institutions provide the benchmark for institutional relevance. The study recommends that for effective implementation of public relations functions, the senior public relations executive shouldbe a member of the dominant coalition. Again, the senior public relations executive should play the manager role and not the technician role or both. Also, it is important to separate the core publicrelations functions from other duties. In addressing the challenges identified, the public relationsunits should be well- resourced with adequate budget and equipment as well as qualified personnel. KEYWORDS: public relations, functions, relevance, challenges.Item Radio Management Practices: A Study Of Selected Private Radio Stations In Sekondi-Takoradi(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Flintwood-Brace, J.Located in the Political Economy Tradition of the Media, this study explored the management practices of selected radio stations in Sekondi-Takoradi (Radio Maxx, Aseda FM, Spice FM, Empire FM and Kyzz FM) as proxy for understanding how normative management practices in Ghana are enacted vis-a-vis the economic considerations that characterise the industry. The study combined in-depth interviews, document analysis and observation to explore the management practices of the radio stations pertaining to the areas of programming, human resource management, financial management and audience management. The findings of the study showed that the stations did not contribute much to Sekondi-Takoradi's creative economy because, for the most part, the stations expend resources on buying content from Accra-based radio stations. This practice denies the local economy any form of patronage that could have resulted from the local production of programmes in Sekondi-Takoradi. Additionally, the stations rely on talents from outside the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, which indicates that the stations do not have any viable talent grooming programmes that benefit local talents in Sekondi-Takoradi. The study also found that the radio stations did little or no formative research to guide their programming decisions. The implication of their failure to investigate their audiences’ needs, is homogenised competition among the stations; where all five stations air very similar programmes with very few variations. The study also sought to discover what constitutes the management structures of the radio stations, and how the management structures impact management practices. The study found that three out of the five stations do not have Human Resource Departments, which indicates problematic HR practices in the radio stations. The study ultimately concluded that even though private radio stations operate to maximise profits, there are a number of factors that condition the market model upon which these stations are set up and operated.Item Analytic Study Of Social Media Use And Influence On Public Relations In Ghana(University of Ghana, 2022-04) Dziewornu-Norvor, W.K.This study sought to analyze Ghanaian public relations practitioners’ use of social media and influence on public relations practice. Using the uses and gratification theory and dialogic theory of public relations as a lens, the study sought the views of 20 public relations practitioners. Essentially, the interviews sought information on how public relations deploy social media in their work, how their work is influenced, the challenges associated, and the competencies required to navigate the evolving world of social media and public relations. The study found that public relations practitioners in Ghana were well informed of social media platforms and employed them in their duties and are unanimous in agreement that social media have reshaped mainly the mechanism by which they interact with their publics by bringing them closer to their target audience. It was also revealed that work output and efficiency was positive because practitioners could get to their publics in real-time and interact seamlessly. Finally, the study revealed that practitioners may be under-utilizing social media and may not be reaping the benefits that abound primarily because training in the proper usage and deployment of social media platforms is not abreast with the evolving technology of social media. Despite these significant findings, there were other issues that the study could not address, including the views of organizational publics and the use of the quantitative approach, which would have made it possible to obtain a significant enough sample and thereby make it possible to generalize the findings of the study. Accordingly, the present study recommends that researchers investigate the extent to which social media mediate the relationship between organizations and their publics and find out whether the relationship mediated by social media is stronger or otherwise than the one by traditional/legacy media.Item Acceptance And Use Of Language Translation Tools In The Learning Environment: A Tam-Based Study Of Francophone Students Studying In Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2022-06) Ofori, H.This study is a qualitative exploration of the experiences of francophone students with the use and utility of language translation tools for navigating the communication challenges they face in a foreign language learning environment. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) underpinned this study. A total of 20 francophone students from the Ghana Institute of Languages (GIL) were interviewed. There were similarities between the findings of this study and those of many previous studies, in the revelation that while translation tools do have some functional utility, their inability to reflect the imperatives of context in meaning making impose limitations on their reliability in enabling competent communication. However, while the threshold for error may be low in fields such medicine and healthcare, the lack of complete accuracy of language translation tools was perceived to be less of a barrier to students in the foreign language learning environment. Furthermore, the findings show that perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of different translation tools informed the preferences of francophone students for particular types of language translation tools. Finally, similar to conclusions by Tabiri and Budu (2017), notwithstanding individual testimonies about experiences of foreign language anxiety (FLA), a shared opinion among the informants was that immersing into the language and culture of the target language gives them the opportunity to interact with Ghanaian English speakers, which would in turn, increase their English language proficiency. Future studies may consider including a quantitative dimension that would pick on the indicators identified in the present study, in order to increase breadth as well as generalisability of findings.Item Audience Expectations Of The Ghanaian Media Framing Of The 2012 Energy Crisis(University Of Ghana, 2022-03) Baimbill-Johnson, F.This study examines audience perception (Students, Academics, Policymakers) of media reporting of Ghana’s energy crisis of 2012 in the Daily Graphic and Daily Guide newspapers. While earlier studies focused solely on the reporting of the crisis in the media, this study compares journalists’ rationale and audience perspectives of media reporting on the Ghana energy crisis. Drawing on audience reception and framing theories and a semi-structured interview with civil society activists, journalists, academics, students, and spokesperson of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the study finds that, there is a divergence between journalists’ rationale and audience perspectives of media reporting of Ghana’s energy crisis of 2012. The finding has broad implications for media reporting of crisis in Ghana and much of sub-Saharan Africa.Item The Role Of Public Relations At The Ghana Education Service(University Of Ghana, 2023-06) Agyemang, E.S.This study examined the role of public relations at the Ghana Education Service (GES). It focused on the activities of public relations, looked at how public relations can help to accomplish the mission and vision of GES and also examined factors which hinder the practice of public relations at the GES. Moreover, the study examined the views of stakeholder publics on the practice of public relations at the GES and how the GES factors the views of these stakeholder publics into its mission and vision. The study delved into what can be done in order to improve the practice of public relations at the GES. Excellence theory was the only theory that underpinned the study. The study adopted the qualitative research methodology and gathered data via in-depth interview with public relations practitioners at the GES and focus group discussions with stakeholder publics of GES. The study revealed that the common public relations activity at the GES is writing because all practitioners indicated they perform writing activities. Other activities undertaken by practitioners in GES were media engagement and crisis communication. The study found that at the GES not all public relations practitioners were regarded as management members. This situation hinders the public relations practice because some practitioners are not able to make their opinions known to management of the GES especially at the district level. Furthermore, practitioners at the GES are faced with the challenge of financial constraints and misinterpretation on the concept of public relations. This impedes the work of practitioners. The study was limited to the Greater Accra region; only public schools in the Greater Accra region were used so it recommended that future studies could look the other political administrative regions of the country. Future studies could also obtain responses from teachers and parents of private schools to help broaden the role that public relations plays at the GES.Item Gendered Dynamics In Digital Media Entrepreneurship In Ghana: A Study Of The Experiences Of Digital Media Owners(University Of Ghana, 2022-10) Zegbla, G.D.A.Existing research has documented gender imbalances in traditional media particularly with regard to leadership and ownership. The rise of digital media was deemed by scholars as the long-awaited answer to correcting the absence of women in media management and ownership, and through that correcting other fault lines such as stereotypical and limited coverage of women’s issues. In this study, I explore how the digital space is opening up media ownership and management to women and compare the unique opportunities and challenges they and their male colleagues face. The study was guided by feminist media and the Feminist Political Economy of the Media logic, and relied on in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of men and women who have ventured into digital media ownership by starting commercialised news websites and YouTube channels. Findings show that men and women have economic motives for venturing into digital media entrepreneurship. Women are further driven by lower entry costs in contrast to men who draw other inspiration from the flexibility digital media offers for managing multiple digital media platforms. Other findings include the fact that in managing their digital media enterprises, men draw support from strangers and friends who believed in the quality of their work while women draw support heavily from family and friends. Key words: Digital media, Entrepreneurship, Gender, Motivations and experiences, News websites, YouTube