Media discourse and framing of ethno-political conflicts: a case study of the Oromo Somali groups in South Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

This dissertation explores the framing of violent ethno-political conflicts through media discourse, with a specific focus on the Oromo-Somali (sometimes interchanged as Somali-Oromo conflict, without changing the intention of meaning in the study) conflict in Ethiopia. Employing an exploratory qualitative research design, the study draws on two theoretical frameworks: Galtung's War and Peace Journalism approach, and Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method. Data for the research were drawn from extracts of 30 African regional and Ethiopian national online news articles published over a period of 17 months, from August 2017 to December 2018. These online news articles were accessed through search engines, thereby making the sampling strategy purposive. The findings reveal a predominant war discourse/primordial explanation in the media, with a tendency to downplay anti-war narratives. The newspapers present the conflicts in a discriminatory manner utilizing demonizing, victimization, and sensational and escalatory discourses that can exacerbate the violence. Within the media discourse, the two ethnic groups involved are often portrayed as both victims and perpetrators, with a grading system that categorizes them as ―violent villains‖ and ―innocent victims‖. Additionally, there is a notable inclination to place blame on one ethnic group more than the other. Almost all the selected news articles were heavily biased towards the Oromo ethnic faction. The victimization of the Oromo ethnic group was given high priority in the newspapers, which maximized news discourses which are unfavorable to or critical of the Ethiopian Somalis. This unfair representation can further intensify the conflicts and reflects a hegemonic view that serves the interests of a few Oromo political elites and citizens, rather than considering the well-being of the broader population, and the victims from both ethnic groups. The media discourse is skillfully manipulated and exploited by the Oromo to advance their own veiled interests. Furthermore, the newspapers provide superficial narratives of the conflict, lacking in-depth analysis. It is evident that the frames employed by online newspapers do not contribute to peace-building or to the de-escalation of the conflicts. Therefore, this study highlights the pressing need for responsible journalism and unprejudiced reportage to foster peace and reconciliation in viii societies affected by ethno-political conflicts. It reflects the urgent necessity for decolonial approaches and Afro-centric philosophy/African parlance. By adhering to these approaches, the media can play a vital role in addressing a more peaceful and inclusive narrative surrounding such conflicts. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the media's role in such conflicts, the study recommends assessing the reception of media texts by the audience and employing instruments such as questionnaires and interview guides in future studies. Additionally, future research should delve into the editorial policies of newspapers covering conflict and wars in particular.