Ethnicity as journalism paradigm: Polarization and political parallelism of Ethiopian news in transition

Abstract

In the wake of the 2018 liberalization of journalistic freedoms in Ethiopia, new waves of political unrest and a re-tightened grip on the media have emerged. A key feature in this context is the increasing reference to ethnic contrasts reflecting regional differences. While Ethiopia is a unique country in the African context in the sense of never having been colonized (with the exception of a brief period of Italian occupation), features of the contemporary media situation are also of general validity in understanding political realities in other African countries. This paper explores the concept of ‘journalism paradigms’ in that regard, with the follow-up question of how an understanding of journalism paradigms founded on ethnic boundaries might also contribute toward a more distinctly ‘African’ journalism research framework.