Examining Postgraduate University Journalism And Communication Students' and Advertising Agency Employees' Attitudes About Advertising Discourses

Abstract

People gain from advertising by receiving information about the availability, characteristics, and costs of particular items and services. However, in Ethiopia, it is not clear whether people have a positive or negative attitude about advertising. To ascertain the attitudes toward advertisement discourse, the study attempts to examine from the perspective of university students and some media and advertising agency employees. The total number of participants of this study was 64 and they were journalism and communication postgraduate students from three selected universities and a few advertising agency workers in Ethiopia. In the selection of the participants of the study, both purposeful and convenience sampling methods were used. Data were gathered using closed and open-ended questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, i.e. means and standard deviations and thematic analyses respectvely. The analysis of quantitative data shows that the majority of participants have an unfavorable attitude toward advertising discourse, for they agree with the majority of statements (M=3.695).  On the other hand, the qualitative data reveal the reasons for disliking and liking advertising discourses that may contribute to the development of positive or negative attitudes respectively.  From the two sets of data analyses, it is possible to conclude that the majority of participants have negative attitudes about advertising because of  their belief that it distorts reality and deceives people.