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Abstract

Northern Ethiopia conflict has received huge attention from various media outlets in Ethiopia and around the world. Many thousands of people have died as a result of the violent conflict between the federal government of Ethiopia and Tigray forces. This study investigated how BBC and CNN have covered the conflict. It employed a combination of quantitative content analysis and textual analytic methods, using an exploratory sequential method. The findings revealed significant differences in framing techniques between BBC and CNN. BBC extensively employed a military conflict frame that emphasized government actions, whereas CNN focused on the violence of war and responsibility frames. Both media outlets mainly relied on information provided by the parties involved in the conflict. However, the media outlets showed a significant lack of balance in their reportage, raising questions about potential bias and its impact on public understanding of this complicated conflict.

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2025-01-25
2026-04-12

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/content/journals/10.1386/ajms_00161_1
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Beyond neutrality: Exploring how global media frame conflict in sub-Saharan African countries
Intellect ; https://doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00161_1
/content/journals/10.1386/ajms_00161_1
/content/journals/10.1386/ajms_00161_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keywords: CNN ; framing ; Tigray forces ; Northern Ethiopia conflict ; BBC ; media ; Ethiopia ; war

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