Investigating the Gap Between Journalists’ Role Conceptions and Role Performance in Rwanda and Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study reports select findings from the second wave of the Journalistic Role Performance cross-national project involving 37 countries (www.journalisticperformance.org). Specifically, this study combines survey (N = 83) and content analysis data (N = 4,044) to explain gaps between journalists’ role conceptions and their media organizations’ performance in two African countries, Rwanda and Ethiopia. In 2020–21, we analyzed news stories from 10 media houses — including TV, radio, print and online — and subsequently surveyed journalists who worked at those outlets. Among other findings, the data showed larger gaps between conception and performance for Rwandan journalists than Ethiopian journalists. Journalists in both countries revealed a large gap for the Watchdog role, suggesting journalists valued this role much more than their organizations actually performed it. Interestingly, a greater sense of autonomy predicted larger role gaps in several cases. Results extend the Hierarchical Influence Model into new territory by gauging the influence of multi-level factors in Ethiopian and Rwandan journalistic cultures.