A Comparative Analysis Of The Coverage Of Nebe In Addis Zemen And Reporter Newspapers By Mesfin Bogale

These days, the role of media is vital in informing, educating, and controlling thernmalpractices of democratic institutions in any country, regardless of their level ofrndevelopment. But this importance becomes even more crucial in countries that arernundergoing transitions to full-fledged democracies. As elections are the gateway torndemocracy, the role of the media should be prominent when it comes to coveringrnelections.rnIn this study, the researcher aimed to analyze and compare coverage by therngovernment and the private press of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE)rnwhile the May 2005 general elections were being conducted. To this effect, thernresearcher mainly used content analysis to investigate coverage of two purposelyrnselected newspapers, the government-run Amharic daily, Addis Zemen, and thernprivate biweekly Reporter, in order to examine the media’s role during elections,rnkeeping in mind its watchdog and agenda setting roles. A total of 575 stories in 118rnpublications were reviewed. Supplementary to the quantitative data, qualitative datarnwas collected through key informant interviews. Data was analyzed using anrnappropriate statistical tool (SPSS). Accordingly, Addis Zemen was found to be partisanrnto the government. In particular, editorials were found to be biased towards the NEBE.rnIn contrast, Reporter was highly critical of the NEBE. It published stories thatrnappeared more neutral and positive-toned. In light of the findings, the researcherrnconcluded that Addis Zemen was unethical in the way it covered the May elections.rnThe paper failed to meet professional standards. Based on the findings and reviewedrnliterature, the researcher recommended that journalists working for the governmentaffiliatedrnAddis Zemen needed to work towards impartiality, the core of journalisticrnethics, in all kinds of reporting and particularly in such delicate matters as elections.rnOne of the ways they could develop sensitivity to neutrality, it was recommended,rnwould be by undergoing professional training in journalism.

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