A Comparative Analysis of the Coverage of NEBE in Addis Zemen and Reporter Newspapers BY MESFIN BOGALE
| dc.contributor.advisor | Jones, Nicola (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Bogale, Mesfin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2018-07-02T09:53:23Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-08T13:37:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2018-07-02T09:53:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-08T13:37:44Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2005-12 | |
| dc.description.abstract | These days, the role of media is vital in informing, educating, and controlling the malpractices of democratic institutions in any country, regardless of their level of development. But this importance becomes even more crucial in countries that are undergoing transitions to full-fledged democracies. As elections are the gateway to democracy, the role of the media should be prominent when it comes to covering elections. In this study, the researcher aimed to analyze and compare coverage by the government and the private press of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) while the May 2005 general elections were being conducted. To this effect, the researcher mainly used content analysis to investigate coverage of two purposely selected newspapers, the government-run Amharic daily, Addis Zemen, and the private biweekly Reporter, in order to examine the media’s role during elections, keeping in mind its watchdog and agenda setting roles. A total of 575 stories in 118 publications were reviewed. Supplementary to the quantitative data, qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews. Data was analyzed using an appropriate statistical tool (SPSS). Accordingly, Addis Zemen was found to be partisan to the government. In particular, editorials were found to be biased towards the NEBE. In contrast, Reporter was highly critical of the NEBE. It published stories that appeared more neutral and positive-toned. In light of the findings, the researcher concluded that Addis Zemen was unethical in the way it covered the May elections. The paper failed to meet professional standards. Based on the findings and reviewed literature, the researcher recommended that journalists working for the governmentaffiliated Addis Zemen needed to work towards impartiality, the core of journalistic ethics, in all kinds of reporting and particularly in such delicate matters as elections. One of the ways they could develop sensitivity to neutrality, it was recommended, would be by undergoing professional training in journalism. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/5391 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Addis Zemen and Reporter Newspapers | en_US |
| dc.title | A Comparative Analysis of the Coverage of NEBE in Addis Zemen and Reporter Newspapers BY MESFIN BOGALE | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |