Comparative Media Coverage Analysis of GERD in Ethiopian Herald and Al Aharam of Egypt between February 2019 and August 2020
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Date
2021-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Abay (called Nile in foreign lands) is the longest river in the world crossing 6,700
kilometers through eleven riparian countries of Africa. Even though Ethiopia is
the top most contributor of Nile water, so far, Ethiopia utilizes less than one
percent of the potential of Nile for irrigation and hydroelectric power and it is
faced with severe drought. However, the issue of water allocation in the Nile
Basin has been in quandary, particularly between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia
since Ethiopia launched the construction of GERD on 2 April, 2011. Accordingly,
this study has employed comparative document analysis method to identify the
difference in coverage of GERD between Herald and Al Ahram newspapers. To
this end, the study has judiciously selected 156 samples of articles (78 from each
newspaper). The time covers between February 2019 to August 2020 in which
GERD diplomacy was uniquely intensified. To this end, mass communication and
media coverage theories and explanations are thoroughly discussed. The research
employed purposive sampling and qualitative method of investigation. The
findings show that Al-Ahram prioritizes coverage of negotiation followed by
issues of politics and diplomacy. Nevertheless, it frequently employs coverage of
provocation, where as it gives less attention to economic benefit and cooperation
aspect of coverage. In the contrary, Ethiopian Herald gives major attention to
coverage of cooperation followed by politics and economy. The research showed
that the GERD media coverage of the two newspapers in Ethiopia and Egypt is
completely contradicting based on their interest to cover. The study has found
that Ethiopian Herald and the Egyptian Al Ahram newspapers covered
contradicting issues on the issues of GERD negotiation
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Comparative Media Coverage Analysis of GERD in Ethiopian Herald and Al Aharam