This is a qualitative study based on fieldwork carried out in Accra, Ghana April 3 – May 29, 2010. The aim was to shed light on how a selected number of female Ghanaian journalists experience their working conditions from a gender based perspective. The material consists of eight semi-structured interviews ranging from 20 minutes to 1 hour 12 minutes. The interviewees are female, Ghanaian journalists between 23 and 46 years old working in print or broadcast media in Ghana.  The interviews were analyzed thematically resulting in seven sub-headings, all relating to my research questions, which were: - Is being a female journalist in Ghana today in any way a disadvantage/advantage? - How do female journalists in Ghana experience their opportunities to advance and be promoted? - Do female journalists in Ghana experience any differences between them and their male colleagues? Do they report on different kinds of subjects? My analysis conclude there are a number of disadvantages being female within the media in Ghana: there is a perception of female journalists being flirtatious and less professional than male journalists, it is challenging for female journalists to start a family since journalism is a very time-consuming profession and the responsibility for domestic work is still primarily on the woman and, finally, the interviewees experience they have to distinguish themselves from their male colleagues and make their mark as competent and professional to really be taken seriously. Concerning the opportunity to get promoted there is a contradiction; the interviewees all experience they have the opportunity to get promoted as long as they work hard, nevertheless they recognize a male-domination among their executives and expresses an awareness of gender based promotions. The interviewees claim they can report on whatever subjects they want, but they all express an awareness of the distinction between topics primarily covered by women and others by men. This contradiction is similar to the one articulated above. To sum up, there is a discrepancy between how the interviewees felt about their own situation and how they perceive the inequality issues surrounding them.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate how the journalist profession is challenged when the media in Kosovo is intruded by political and business interests and what happens to television journalists and editors; professionals who fight for their right to produce news. The intention with the study is to describe, discuss and analyze the results found in this study around the obstacles faced within the journalist profession in Kosovo caused by the intrusion of political and business interests in journalistic work. One has to also consider that Kosovo is a new state, having weak mechanisms for protecting the rights of journalists and editors. Research method: In this study, the qualitative interview has been used as research method to collect empirical data and to get an idea of the personal experiences of Kosovo journalists. Limitations: This study does not present an investigation into the Kosovo media landscape as a whole and does not give other parties involved in journalistic work (for example media owners, politicians and advertisers) the opportunity to express their views. Further, the voices of rural journalists and editors are not included. Finally, interviewees mainly work as television journalists and editors, reflecting the fact that media consumption in Kosovo is almost exclusively by viewing television. Results: Results suggest that Kosovo journalists and editors are held back in their profession due to political and economical influence on their work. This is carried out in the form of threats and blackmailing in which an external political or economical force personally threats the journalist or editor or threats to pull back financial support unless positive media coverage in a specific media is delivered. Journalists and editors are thus not able to carry out their role as watchdogs and are put in a position in which they feel unsafe and disrespected. Suggestions for future research: For future research, it would be interesting to look into “the other side” of the media, i.e. advertisers, political elite and media companies in Kosovo. A more comprehensive study could maybe shed a broader light on the Kosovo media problems and possibly find some solutions for the future of the existing problems. It can also be interesting to look at international interference in the journalist profession in Kosovo.

This thesis is, in its theoretical part, focused on the concepts describing questions of normative theories of the press, public sphere and current journalist's position within the media organizations. Research part examines the factors influencing editors and their normative ideals about journalist profession. Through qualitative research we found the conclusions which represent personal, organizational and external factors influencing their work.