Ethnic attachment in the media: A tale of ATV and TTV narratives in the Amhara–Qemant conflict

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic nation that has experienced violent interethnic conflicts, disrupting the lives of its citizens for the past thirty years. This study examined how the Amhara and Qemant conflict is framed by Amhara Television (ATV) and Tigray Television (TTV). It analysed framing typologies, attributed sources and the roles of both television stations within the peace/war journalism framework. Using an explanatory sequential research design, the study quantitatively assessed 41 news stories from ATV and 27 from TTV to investigate questions related to framing and sourcing. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven journalists who reported on the conflict. The study was informed by framing theory and the classifications of war journalism vs. peace journalism proposed by Galtung and his colleagues. The findings revealed that ATV primarily utilized the attribution of responsibility frame, while TTV focused on the conflict frame. Both media outlets relied heavily on government officials and ordinary citizens as their main sources, ATV sourced primarily from government representatives, while TTV drew from the general populace. In terms of their roles, ATV tended to advocate for peace, whereas much of TTV’s coverage appeared to exacerbate the conflict. Qualitative data indicated that both television organizations approached the conflict in ways that favoured their respective ethnic groups. The media narratives underscored the presence of ideological and proxy wars within their messaging, shaped by the political economy of the media. While TTV pushed for the implementation of constitutional rights in support of the Qemant as a strategic partner, ATV sought to counter anti-Amhara narratives.