Media framing of Amhara protests: the case of Amhara Television and Aljazeera

Abstract

The study examined the framing of the 2016 Amhara protest in Ethiopia by Amhara Television (ATV) and Aljazeera. The research employed mixed research design and employed themes, frames, sources, tone, and media functions as categories. The findings reveal that ATV reports focused on reducing unrest and government initiatives, but Aljazeera focused on ethnic tensions, human rights, and the magnitude of the crisis. Regarding frame types, Aljazeera mostly used diagnostic and human-interest framing. In contrast, ATV mainly used economic, prognostic, and morality framing. Moreover, Aljazeera often employed victims' families and opposition groups, but ATV commonly used religious leaders and government officials as news sources. Regarding media roles, Aljazeera focused on stating the cause, whereas ATV paid more attention to proposing remedies. Both, however, paid equal attention to articulating and defining the problem. As for the tone of the stories, Aljazeera was positive about the public protest, but ATV condemned the persistence of the protest. Besides, Aljazeera and ATV showed different understandings regarding the causes and solutions to the problem. Finally, these differences in framing occurred because of the differences in organizational culture, editorial policy, and the general media philosophy adhered to by journalists in their respective media.