COM3705 Assignment 1 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 2 2025 - DUE 29 August 2025

VWhen war reporting emerged as a specialisation from 1885 onwards, the expectations of journalists were quite simple. Journalists were expected to write reports as narratives of adventure without too much political comment or moralising. A century and a half on, the issue of the relationship between journalists, media and war has come to the fore again, but this time the expectations of journalists are far less clear-cut. The role of the media in armed conflicts and war has become even more important, reflecting changes in both media technologies and global audiences. Changes in media technologies include, amongst others, the rise of social media networks, citizen journalism, and user-generated content. Since the end of the Cold War, the world has seen several armed conflicts, ethnic cleansing, and genocides. International media and international journalists, including war correspondence, have been key players in the public communication process about the narration of the war and its understanding by the public. Framing theory is not necessarily a new theory in the media. However, it is only in recent years that it has become paramount in analysing media contents. Framing theory is particularly well-suited for studying propaganda and war coverage. Framing can be qualitative, quantitative and connotative. Moreover, framing can be used for prescriptive, descriptive and comparative analysis (Berenger, 2004:3). The purpose of this assignment is for you to analyse the reporting or coverage of the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia (). Your discussion should be structured accordingly and cover the following topics: 1. Introduction (2½) In your introduction explain the overarching topic of the assignment and how it links to the module as a whole. Provide the background of the Tigray conflict. 2. Read Unit 4 and critically discuss ANY TWO(2) theories describing the international flow of news. (15) 3. Describe what you understand as the inequalities of international information (news) flow patterns and explain what causes these inequalities. (10) 4. Discuss the role of international communication in war and armed conflicts. (5) 5. Critically discuss the so-called CNN effect and whether it is still relevant today. (5) 6. Choose one of the following themes, read the relevant prescribed readings and critically discuss this theme in the context of the media coverage of the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia. You need to discuss (and, if possible, attach) one example of media coverage related to your chosen theme. (50) a. Disinformation, misinformation, and social media * Azoulay, L. 2024. Truth in the Crossfire: The Case of Ethiopia and Fact‐Checking in Authoritarian Contexts. Media & Communication, 12: Article 8785. * Burnham, J. 2022. From the Internet to Ashes: Disinformation and the Tigray War. Nato Association of Canada. Available at: https: * Ogeret, KS, Mutsvairo, B, de Bruijn, M, Schroeder, DT, Badji, SD, Moges, MA. 2024. Hashtags, Hatetags and social media campaigs in Ehtiopia’s Tigray conflict. Information, Communication & Society. * Pabon, FAD. & Shifa, M. 2022. The Interaction of Mass Media and Social Media in Fuelling Ethnic Violence in Ethiopia. Accord. Available at: b. Framing •Geber, T. & Yohannes, M. 2022. Analyzing the Media Framing of Armed Conflict-Induced Food crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia. International Institute for Social Studies. The Hague: IISS. •Livio, O & Cohen-Yechezkely, S. 2019. Copy, Edit, Paste. Journalism Studies, 20(5):696-713, DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2017.1417054. •Nigatu. BA. 2023. War on paper: A critical discourse analysis of war reporting in Ethiopia. Heliyon. 9(7):e17857. 6. Conclusion (2½) Write the conclusion of your assignment that summarises the key points and key findings. Technical presentation