Double-edged press: Framing war and peace negotiation in the Ethiopian state newspaper

The war between the Ethiopian Federal Government and Tigray forces, spearheaded by TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front), drew extensive local and international media attention. This study examined how Bekur newspaper portrayed the conflict and peace agreement, and how frontline reporters perceived their roles. Using an explanatory sequential design, 57 newspaper items (39 war reports, 18 peace negotiation stories) were analyzed, and five frontline journalists were interviewed. Galtung’s War Journalism (WJ) and Peace Journalism (PJ) framework guided the study. Findings indicate that Bekur newspaper framed the peace process in line with PJ principles while emphasizing conflict escalation during the war. Journalists functioned as propagandists, mobilizers, patriotic actors, and advocates. The study recommends that journalists should adhere to ethical reporting standards and journalistic professionalism in both peace and times of conflict.