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100			_aMufutau Muyiwa
245			_aFragile Democracy: Media Freedom and Radical Polarisation in Ethiopia
300			_aP 73-92
520			_aFragile states are conditioned by the politics of interests, which oscillates between social, ethnic, factional, political and economic agitations. The politics of interest impairs shared identity and creates a tense coexistence between already fragmented communities. Ethiopia presents an example of the erosion of democratic norms despite the constitutionally imposed politics of ethnically and regionally based societies. Fragile states defy theoretical wisdom, as the media and elections might, in certain circumstances, produce negative results by creating a fractured society rather than resolving the legitimacy crisis. This article analysed academic literature and reflected on theories of the media in democracy to deconstruct the role of the legacy and new media in radical polarisation and nation-building in Ethiopia. Furthermore, illustrations were drawn from incidents and developments to clarify conditions that can help the mass media refrain from actions that deliberately or inadvertently impede socio-economic growth and worsen political conditions in fragile democracies. This article asserts that without context adaptation, the liberal norms of media autonomy and political inclusion might be incompatible with other forms of democracy beyond affluent democracies. It concludes by proposing theoretical visions of a ‘democratic mirror’, ‘vigilantism and fraternisation’ and the ‘therapeutic’ function of the media in fragile democracies.
654			_aFragile democracy _afragile states _amedia and politics _amedia freedom _apolarisation _amedia ethics _aEthiopia
773	0		_0125263 _9109606 _dNew Delhi Sage Publication India _oJP49 _tMedia Watch _x0976-0911
942			_cJA
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