The goal of the study is to see how much the Ethiopian Herald and the Reporter Englishrnnewspapers covered the COVID-19 outbreak. The quantitative portion of the study is basedrnon counting the frequency of categorical analysis in newspapers, while the qualitativernportion is based on interviews with journalists and editors who work in newsrooms. To assessrnthe coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Ethiopian Herald (government) and Reporterrn(private) publications from the beginning of February 2020 to the end of March 2021, usingrnnewspapers with a 28-day publication, a total of 150 stories were identified for analysis. Thernanalysis focused on the COVID-19 pandemic issues, which were grouped into five keyrncategories: theme, type, sources, by-line, and story origins. The study's key theoreticalrnframeworks were agenda setting and social learning (cognitive) theories. According to thernfindings, Ethiopian Herald have paid greater attention to COVID-19 pandemic issues thanrnReporter newspaper, and both newspapers have covered prevention and economic aspects ofrnthe pandemic more frequently, with government officials serving as major sources and mostrnstories originate locally. Recoveries and survivors are totally ignored in the news and otherrnforms of articles. Relevant recommendations were forwarded based on the findings: thernnewspapers should provide related and background information regarding the COVID-19rnpandemic issues; the Ethiopian newspapers, both government and private, should also coverrnpublic health issues besides the pandemic. Because public health is complicated, itrnnecessitates extensive explanation and clarification in order to be fully comprehended.