Mediated democracy in Action

Résumé

Abstract Using media democracy as its case, this article reports results of a study on the state of Ethiopian newspapers with op-ed commentaries. There is good reason to focus on newspaper op-ed column, because it is considered as a forum for democratic practice in a mediated setting. Thus, the study takes the perspective of op-ed forum as a public sphere where citizens articulate issues of public matters. Guided by two major research questions, the study empirically examines the salient features of media democracy focusing on op-ed articles published during the 2018 Ethiopian political reform period, which range in date from April 2, 2018 to April 1, 2019. The study employs a content analysis research method. Applying quantitative approach, the study employed a constructed week sampling method to select quantitative data from sample newspapers. The study focuses on op-ed content and source features, which have been taken as key characteristics of op-ed page to measure ‘what writers said’ and ‘whose voices were heard’ regarding the 2018 Ethiopian political reform. In terms of diversity, the study disclosed a limited diversity in terms of source and content. The study reported in this article shows that media democracy in the op-ed pages of Ethiopian newspapers, particularly in state-owned newspapers, were constructed to advance the newspapers’ editorial stance on the issues. Looking at the features of op-ed columns vis-à-vis editorial lines, the study finds that most op-ed commentaries bear similarity to editorials in state-controlled newspapers (coincide), and in private newspapers op-eds neither coincide nor collide with editorial lines the papers pursue.

Citer ce document

Accès au document

Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter

Auteur(s)

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0