This study examines the representation of social power relations in Ethiopianrnnewspaper front page photographs. The portrayal of power relations between citizensrnthrough front page photos was investigated via semiotic analysis of photographs ofrnthe human figure. The researcher coded photographs of ordinary citizens andrnprominent persons and examined how meanings are created through signifiersignifiedrnrelationships and denotative and connotative meanings attached to thernphotographs. The major coding parameters were coverage, portrayal, appearance, andrnactivities persons in the photographs perform. The coding objects were The EthiopianrnHerald (government-owned), Fortune (private) and The Reporter (private).rnA major finding was that powerful persons were overwhelmingly dominant on thernfront pages. They tended to be portrayed positively, sometimes heroic. Ordinaryrnpeople, on the contrary, had less coverage and were portrayed as victims rather thanrnas newsmakers, experts, or citizens reacting to existing events. The power relationsrnbetween citizens of different classes can, therefore, be said unequal in the studiedrnnewspapers. This implies that interests of the common people, and a balancedrnparticipation in communication and democratisation processes of the country have notrnbeen foregrounded.rnThe study suggests that the needs and interests of the mass are under-represented,rnwhile the few in power are over-represented, and the media influences thisrnrepresentational role. The media outlets under scrutiny, reinforces thisrnrepresentational inequality. The study found that the media do not challenge thernconception that only the powerful citizens are newsmakers. The study thereforernconcludes with a critical note on the role of the media in democratization ofrncommunication, which should give all citizens a chance to be fairly represented in thernmedia.