The Role of Media in Promoting Indigenous Cultural Values: Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of media in promoting indigenous cultural values in Ethiopia. The current global communication system affects the thought and practice of the people in the multi-verse. Since the global media is occupied by the developed nations, developing countries, such as Ethiopia, are forced to see themselves and each other through the developed countries’ views. Data were collected from different 26 television and radio programs, e-discourse 213 mobile texts, 145 face-book posts, and blogs, 97 posts on public displays like School and University Walls, Bajaj and Taxi posts.  The result of the study showed that the indigenous cultures are associated with backwardness and the Western cultures are considered modern. Global discourse is making it easier for the Western culture to wash away aboriginal and local cultures which are precious for the multicultural communities in Ethiopia.  There are many global cultures such as “Valantine Day” “Thanks Giving Day” “April the Fool” that invade our people. The media is playing a key role in this regard. Local cultural values which the Ethiopian people have long been preserving couldn’t survive the pressure paused on them because of modern technology mediated global discourses which dominated the global information space. Although the educated society of the country could assume the position to raise the awareness of the people to value our aged assets, they themselves have become victims. Hence, the responsible citizens of the country need to write, speak and revitalize the threats that is paused to our precious cultural values by outside intruders of global discourse.

Keywords: media, global discourse, indigenous cultures