Tigray, Ethiopia: When 'Mass Killings' Are News, And When They Aren't
CASE A: Ethiopia's Prime Minister Accuses Eritrea Abiy Ahmed's accusation, now making headlines, arrives notably late in the conflict's timeline. Eritrean involvement, including reports of grave human rights violations, was documented by organizations like Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2021) and Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2021) as early as 2020 and 2021. For instance,
Amnesty International reported in February 2021 on the Aksum massacre, where Eritrean soldiers killed hundreds of civilians. The current framing allows for an official statement to be presented as a fresh revelation, rather than a delayed confirmation of widely reported events. CASE B: The 'Moderate Rebels' of Syria Contrast this with the international media's framing of actors in the Syrian
conflict. In 2012-2015, numerous Western outlets, including components of ABC News, frequently referred to various opposition groups as 'moderate rebels,' despite consistent reports and photographic evidence linking some factions to al-Qaeda affiliates and committing significant human rights abuses. For example, a 2013 Human Rights Watch report detailed atrocities committed by 'moderate'
opposition groups. The language used was often 'aiming to overthrow Assad's regime' or 'battling government forces,' deflecting from their documented actions. There was no equivalent, delayed official accusation from a sympathetic government figure that would then be presented as primary news. THE FRAMING: A Convenient Truth In the Tigray case, the language focuses on a 'prime minister accuses'