Ethnicity in Ethiopian state media institutions
Ethnicity is a recurring topic in any analysis of power relations in Ethiopian public interaction, where the population consists of more than 80 people groups. Since 1991, ethnic federalism as defined by the geographical boundaries of nine regions has been the official policy of the Ethiopian national government. The issue of ethnicity is recurring particularly because the government is frequently accused of favouring one ethnic group, the Tigreans, above others. The Amharas (26% of the population) historically represent the ruling elite in Ethiopia with strong ties to the previous empires, while the Oromos (35-40% of the population) is the largest ethnic group and has acquired an image as the most underprivileged group under the current leadership. Much has been said and written about the role of ethnicity in Ethiopian politics at large, but much less has been said about ethnicity in relation to the media. This study investigates ethnic issues in three media institutions in Ethiopia, all of which are government-run. On the basis of interviews with 55 journalists, the study queries to what extent ethnic identity is seen as a determinant in positioning and personal advancement within the state media organizations at various levels.
Publisert i Paper presented at the conference 'Racism, Ethnicity and the Media in Africa', University of Westminster, UK, 2010
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