Media Representation of Oromo’s Political Freedom and Economic Development: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Oromia Television and Oromia Media Network
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Date
2016-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how TVO and OMN represent the Oromo issues concerning political freedom and economic development and its further implications among the Oromo from various angles. Furthermore, the study has pointed out factors affect both televisions representation of the issues under study. The study has also indicated the implications of divergent media representations of the reality under study.
The study employed qualitative content analysis and in-depth interview to gather necessary data. Both data collected through content analysis and an interview record of the journalists were qualitatively analyzed. The analyzed content was selected per their relevance to the issues under study. In depth interview, five editors, four reporters and one producer were purposely selected from economic desk, good governance and news and current affairs of TVO. Snow ball sampling has been also used to select more experienced journalists. With this sample and their interest, two journalists and one former founder of OMN were involved in the interview. Due to the multidimensionality of the subject matter, media representation and political economy of the media as well as labeling theory were used as theoretical frameworks of the study.
Collected data have been organized per their similarities under major themes that were derived from content analysis and interview data. Through triangulation of all data, the analysis was done in a meaningful manner.
The study showed that both televisions paradoxically represent Oromo’s political freedom and economic development. TVO represents that Oromo’s political freedom is long been guaranteed. As a result, the Oromo are the main beneficiaries of the country’s economic development; but the TVO journalists doubt this TV claims. Rather they stated that it is government version of the reality regarding the subject matter.
On the other side, the analysis of both content analysis and interview of OMN represents Oromo as undemocratic; economically undeveloped and politically colonized people.
The findings of the study showed that media ownership, media ideology, government control, editor’s and manager’s control, editorial policies and sources of information are identified as underlying factors that contributed to the conflicting representations of Oromo’s political freedom and economic development with in both media outlets.
A controversial ‘Addis Ababa Master Plan and its worldwide protests were portrayed as a best example of both political freedom and economic development of the Oromo and this issue was differently represented in both media outlets. There are concrete indications that as government repression increases, the political freedom goes worsening and resulted in more violence and tensions emerging in the country.
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Political Freedom and Economic Development