Simon, Gebremedhin (PhD)Tesfaye, Solomon2018-07-032023-11-082018-07-032023-11-082015-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/5718This research work took the 2010 Ethiopian Parliamentary Election as its context to examine the process of message development during the election campaign. In this study the practice of message development for TV by the contending political parties was investigated. Also the powers of election messages to motivate, inform, and persuade their audiences and the messages key contents were issues focused on. Related literature was thoroughly revised and social judgment, persuasion and social influence theories were used as a theoretical framework. ‘Election campaign communications strategy’ was adapted from political communication and campaigning theories and practices. This was used as conceptual frame work for the study. Seven parties were selected using purposive sampling technique out of the 23 parties contended during the 2010 national election for both primary and secondary sources of data in the study. In the study content analysis is used (in conjunction with in-depth interviews). There were 7 interview questions designed in a way they can help to understand the process of message development and use. They were employed to collect information about the process of message development for election and the data was analyzed thematically. Moreover, the massages broadcasted by these same parties during 2010 election were accessed from EBC archive and content analyzed. The result showed that campaign messages transmitted via TV tend to be presented in many paragraphs of long narratives bogged with party policies and programs. Those who prepared the messages also were unable to cater with policy, image, and negatives in writing their scripts. All these attributes made them longer, less attractive, and not appealing to the audience. This also showed that their power to persuade, motivate and inform the voters was minimal. Gaps were observed in applying modern political communication and campaign theories and practices in the process of election message development such as campaign communications strategy.enEthiopian Parliamentary ElectionThesis