Alternative Narratives to State Narratives: A Discourse Analysis of Twitter on the Tigray Conflict. (2020-2021)

This study examined the discourse characterizing alternative narratives on the Tigray conflict with the aim of establishing what informs a shift in information consumption behaviours during censorship. It was aimed at filling the knowledge gap on understanding the new information creation and consumption habits that emerge from censorship that pushes people into utilizing alternative media. It examined the Tigray conflict between mid-November 2020 and mid-March 2021 where the Ethiopian government tried to control how people viewed the issues around it by employing technical, legal and extralegal approaches to influence the conflict narrative. A review of literature revealed possibilities of a new media architecture characterized by initially non-existent demand and supply forces. The study entailed application of discourse analysis of qualitative data to describe how the people modifying the alternative narrative connect with their audience and the role that censorship plays in the creation of this media landscape. The researcher identified 50 relevant tweets around the key issues related to the Tigray conflict. These tweets were analysed for cues on the factors that inspired the users who posted them and how the information was received by other Twitter users. The findings showed that the censorship and efforts by government to supress information resulted in an alternative media architecture with individuals willing to disseminate information to meet the demand for alternative narratives. The alternative narrative created as a result of the new media communication cycle was successful in condemning the actions of the government, supporting Tigray people and drawing the attention of the global community towards the fighting and the resultant humanitarian crisis. The researcher’s main aim was that by the end of the study, they should have linked development of alternative narratives to theories on the behaviour of government, its citizens and other key stakeholders such as the media.