Ethnic journalism, audiences and community development: An analysis of audience perceptions of fafaa FM’s journalistic activities

Abstract

This study broaches a conversation on ethnic media and journalism in Ghana by asking whether Fafaa Radio, a private commercial FM station in Dzodze, practices ethnic journalism based on audience perception of the station's functions and responsibilities. Using mixed methods of survey distributed to 500 participants, in-depth interviews with four purposively selected media practitioners of the station, and document analysis, the study addresses issues relating to Fafaa as an ethnic media outlet. The study occurs within an interpretative analytical approach underpinned by sociological imagination and normative considerations about professionalism in local and national contexts. The findings suggest that Fafaa FM’s audiences believe that the station is an ethnic media organisation because it fulfils the characteristics and tenets of ethnic media. This is evident in the station’s intervention journalism, which seeks to promote the cultural values and interests of its host communities and the station’s revolutionary bottom-up approach to news production. However, Fafaa FM’s ethnic media tendencies raise serious regulatory and conceptualisation issues as the regulatory bodies in Ghana, the National Communication Authority (NCA) and National Media Commission (NMC), do not recognise ethnic media in their classification of types of radio, thereby posing an identity crisis for Fafaa FM.