One of the most basic expressions of democracy is election. The place of multi-partyrnelections is practically meaningless without free press. The role of mass media and its activernrole in opening up the democratization process is indeed highly important matter. Fair andrncompetitive elections require freedom of expressions and/or freedom of the press. Freedom ofrnthe press requires the availability of alternative sources of information or vibrant media, asrnpart and parcel of democratization process.rnMass media offer the public a choice among various political parties, candidates, andrneven polices as a platform for discussion. The press empowers their reader by making themrnaware of the civil and political rights and explaining how and why these rights should bernexercised. Yet, in a modern, largely less developed country, where the mass media exercisernrelative freedom, they will always devote considerable, and often partisan, coverage to therngeneral election.rnThe relationship between the press and election is an intricate business. Indeed thernconsensus in international election research and observation is that electoral process cannot bernevaluated and understood without free press. To explore the wider political climate in whichrnthe press operates; and to deepen and accelerate democratization, the role of press in generalrnand newspapers published during election time in particular should be investigated.rnTherefore, this thesis attempts to examine the pressâ€™s coverage of the election in orderrnto determine the extent and nature of, and bias in the coverage of the May 2005 Ethiopianrnelection. The thesis also measures how these forces promote, spread and even manipulate thernpress in the time of election. It calls attention to how different forces use and misuse the press.rn8rnThen, the following questions attempted to be covered: what are roles of the press playrnin the democratization process in Ethiopia? Who and what spread the bias? How much?rnWhich determining factors contribute to the bias in coverage?rnBoth qualitative and quantitative methods of data collections are used in this study.rnLiterature related with the topic of the research is reviewed. The primary data is gatheredrnand analyzed from seven selected Amharic newspapers published in the final four weeks ofrnelection campaign in the country; and, to this effect 796 titles by way of content analysisrnare employed to cover events and circumstances on the electoral processes at specific timesrnof the election. Many variables and unit of analysis are used to substantiate the analysis ofrnthe extent and nature of bias in the May 2005 Ethiopian Election. As the period from 12rnApril to 12 May 2005, a period of intensive election campaign, the data was examined and asrnthe sampling was broad and representative on the whole, the results are considered to bernaccurate, typical and relevant.rnIt is hoped that this study will contribute to the scholarship of media in Ethiopia;rnand also to serve as a seminal study in the relationship between the press and election, asrnwell as to the democratization process in Ethiopia.