Democracy in action: Political reform, public sphere and mediated deliberation

Newspapers demonstrate their commitment to democracy by providing op-ed columns to facilitate public engagement. This study examines the potential of newspaper op-ed columns to function as a public sphere, a concept deeply rooted in the work of Jürgen Habermas. Drawing upon Habermas's theory of the public sphere and relevant scholarly literature, the study examines media democracy in op-ed columns of Ethiopian newspapers to assess the presence of Habermasian principles for democratic discussions. The findings of this study suggest that while op-ed columns provide a platform for public discourse, they fall short of fully realizing Habermasian ideals for democratic debate.   Key words: Ethiopian political reform 2018, content analysis, op-ed, public sphere.