In 1935, Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia prompted Sylvia Pankhurst to establish the weekly newspaper New Times and Ethiopia News (NTEN), which campaigned against fascism and colonialism while maintaining ties with the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Published until 1956, the NTEN documented Ethiopia’s struggle against Italian occupation and later its post- war political developments. This thesis examines how the paper’s orientation shifted over time, how it portrayed Selassie’s consolidation of power, and how it negotiated tensions between anti- fascist and anti-colonial ideals and the realities of an absolutist monarchy.
The analysis is based on a theoretical framework that combines media history and postcolonial studies. Simultaneously, the sources are examined through the lens of collective memory and culture(s) of remembrance theories, as well as through a historical discourse analysis.
The thesis argues that the NTEN was both an advocate for Ethiopia’s anti-fascist and anti- colonial struggle, while it also mediated Haile Selassie’s post-war image. The newspaper’s evolution reveals how alternative media mobilised international solidarity while obscuring domestic contradictions at the same time. This thesis demonstrates that the NTEN has shaped political legitimacy and collective memory, while highlighting the need for further research on Ethiopia’s role in influencing these transnational narratives.