Global media framing of conflicts in Ethiopia: a content analysis of war narratives and hegemonic interests

Abstract

This article critically examines how international media outlets, such as the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and CGTN, have covered conflict stories in Ethiopia from 2020 to 2025, a period widespread of conflicts across many parts of the country. The article used a descriptive quantitative approach. All stories during the sample period were first collected from these four media outlets. Then the article used systematic random sampling and purposive sampling to select stories, yielding a representative sample from each outlet. The data was coded using a content analysis tool and presented quantitatively. The data were also discussed by using framing theory. The results indicate that international media tend to demonstrate significant selective exposure, disproportionately focusing on the Tigray conflict while marginalizing concurrent conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions. The framing predominantly attributes responsibility to the Ethiopian government and utilizes episodic narratives that decontextualize the conflicts. This coverage suggests patterns reflective of geographical interests and a limited understanding of the complex historical and political drivers of instability and humanitarian crises in Ethiopia. This suggests that international media pay insufficient attention to conflicts across the country and lack a deep understanding of the underlying causes of the country’s politics and conflicts.