POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NEWS PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF THREE CAMPUS-BASED RADIO STATIONS

ABSTRACT

This study examined the political economy of news production amongst three campusbased radio stations: Radio Windy Bay, Radio Univers and Radio ATL in Ghana. The study identified the various filters of news production to include how the filters affect news production and how journalists negotiate the filters during news production. Using a qualitative research approach via interviews and documents and anchored on the political economy theory, the study showed that size, ownership, advertising, sourcing mass media news, flak and enforcers, and self-interest affected news production at the selected radio stations. Again, the study revealed that interference in news production, delays and cancellation, order of content production, ethical issues, financial intervention, economies of time and efficiency were the outcomes of the effects of the filters on radio news production. The study concludes that in negotiating the filters journalists resorted to compliance, adaptation, dialogue, and ethics as best means of dealing with the filters during news production.