News Determinants in Commercial and Public Radio Stations: A Study of Joy F.M and Uniiq F.M.

Abstract

“What is news?” How do journalists as producers and purveyors of news determine what news is? This study sought answers to these age-old questions by examining newsroom practices in a commercial and public radio station in Ghana, that is, Joy FM and Uniiq FM respectively. Underpinned by the theories of gatekeeping, ownership and news values, the study sought to interrogate the continuing relevance of traditional hegemonic views about news determinants. This study argued that these views needed to be examined in the Ghanaian context, given the fact that contexts differ historically, culturally and in terms of prevailing social needs. For instance, Ghana’s media environment has encountered changes in re-democratisation, pluralism and technological advancements which may not be synonymous to those in other contexts. The study also sought to establish whether ownership was a determinant of news. An ethnographic study which combined in-depth interviews, document analysis and participant observation was used to explore new ideas about news determinants. The study found that some news values adopted by the public station, Uniiq F.M, were not in line with traditional definitions of news. Also, ownership was not found to be a determinant of news in both stations. The study concluded that there are no universal determinants with regards to what makes news, since this may vary according to context.