My research explores the intersection of communication, media, politics, and diaspora dynamics across Africa, with a particular focus on Ethiopia. I am especially interested in how media shape political discourse, influence digital governance, and connect diaspora communities to their home countries.
My doctoral dissertation examines how Ethiopian diaspora satellite televisions, particularly Ethiopian outlets ESAT and OMN, framed political protests and contributed to Ethiopia’s political transformation.
My forthcoming work in New Media and Society provides a multi-dimensional analysis of Ethiopia’s internet shutdowns, examining them through the lens of digital sovereignty, state control, and the failure of social media platforms in content moderation. This research also unpacks the Ethiopian government’s justifications for shutdowns, linking them to political reform efforts, ethnic tensions, and broader mechanisms of digital governance that resonate across the continent.
I am currently co-authoring a study on cyber strategies and diaspora dynamics in ethnic insurgencies, exploring how transnational networks fund and sustain armed movements. This research, set to be published in the Civil Wars special issue, Rebel Financing and Use of Economic Instruments for Governance, examines digital financing and online fundraising mechanisms in conflict settings.
Additionally, I am conducting research on Ethiopian diaspora radio in the U.S., titled Immigrant Airwaves: A Critical History of Ethiopian Community Radios in American Media Evolution. This research proposal has been accepted for publication in American Journalism: A Journal of Media History is currently in progress. The study explores how Ethiopian community radio stations have helped immigrants navigate American cultural settings, engage with local politics, and participate in civic life.
I have also co-authored Cross-border Narratives: How Overseas Online Discourse is Reshaping Domestic Practice, a chapter in Companion to Global Journalism and Media at the Borders (Routledge). This research examines how diaspora-led digital conversations influence political and social practices in home countries, highlighting Ethiopia as a key case study within a broader global framework.
In addition, I co-authored a comparative study on the digital evolution of African media, analyzing how Senegalese and Ethiopian newspapers have integrated Twitter into their newsrooms. This research, published in Journal of African Media Studies, explores how news organizations in different political and media landscapes have adapted to the digital age.