Browsing by Author "Biruk Askenaw"

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    Analysis of Local Television Coverage of Religious Conflicts:The EOTC Case Infocus
    (Addis Ababa University, 2025-04-01) Biruk Askenaw; Yohannes Shiferaw
    This thesis examines how Ethiopian mainstream media have reported religious conflicts, with a focus on the recent division within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC). Specifically, it evaluates the reporting practices of Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), Asham Television, and Prime Television in terms of fairness, impartiality, factual accuracy, and professionalism. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data. A structured questionnaire was administered to 110 respondents across Addis Ababa, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 9 news room editors, media professionals and regulatory bodies. In addition, a content analysis news stories from the three media outlets was carried out. The findings indicate that a majority of the audience perceived the media coverage as inaccurate, biased, and lacking objectivity. Interviews and content analysis further revealed editorial limitations, insufficient access to information, political interference, and the sensitive nature of religious topics as key challenges to balanced reporting. The study concludes that the selected media outlets did not meet the expected journalistic standards in covering the EOTC incident, Ultimately, Ethiopian mainstream media have fallen short of their responsibility to inform the public fairly and professionally, and recommends systemic reforms to promote more inclusive, factual, and neutral reporting on religious matters. It recommends capacity-building for journalists, adherence to editorial guidelines, and greater transparency and inclusivity in reporting religious issues.