Frame Analysis of Abiy Ahmed’s Premiership and Reform: Aljazeera and BBC in Focus
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2019-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AAU
Abstract
This research attempted to analyze how Aljazeera English /AJE/ and British Broadcasting
Corporation /BBC/ framed Abiy Ahmed’s premiership and his reform agendas. Informed by
Framing theoretical framework, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods
to gather and analyze the data. About 79 online news articles are gathered from both media
websites. The quantitative content analysis helped identify frames used in discussing Abiy
Ahmed’s ascendance to power and his reform agendas in AJE and BBC; while the qualitative
content analysis provided grounds to explain why the specific frames are selected. Purposive
sampling was used to select the media and the news items for this research. The study revealed
that both AJE and BBC used 6 individual frames in their news narratives about Abiy Ahmed’s
appointment as Prime Minister and his reform agendas. The analysis shows that these global
media used the frames with different level of prominence and emphasis of angles in their news
narratives. AJE and BBC have also expressed the interest of their owners through these frames.
While the peace frame was predominantly used by both AJE and BBC. The study also revealed
that four major themes across both media’s online articles: Ethiopia and Eritrea peace deal,
reform, refusing the reform and Oromo PM. The extent these themes covered is also different.
Similar issues also framed in different by the two media. In general, Abiy’s ascendance to power
is framed as an outcome of the Oromo peoples struggle and coupled with the Amhara. The
premier reform agendas also portrayed as way to move the country forward and clean previous
administrations mess up. When it comes to regional interest both media are influenced by their
origin and the orientation of their respective nations towards Ethiopia in particular and East
Africa in general.
Description
Keywords
analyze how Aljazeera English /AJE/ and British Broadcasting