Personal Data

Name: Behailu Atinafu Dessie Sex: Male

Date of Birth: 09/04/1983

Place of Birth: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia Marital Status: Married

Address: Tel:+251920251910

Email: behailuatinafu2014@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1119-2020

Educational Background

• Ph.D. in Media and Communication –Bahir Dar University) With a Cumulative Grade of 4.00 and Excellent in a research project (2017-2022)
• M.Ed. in TEFL-Bahir Dar University with a cumulative grade point average of 3.94 and Excellent in the research project (2010-2011)
• B.Ed. A degree in teaching English language at Dar University with Cumulative Grade Point Average- 3.52 (2002-2005)

Current Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism and Communication, Bahir Dar University (April 2025- present)

Previous Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor in Media and Communication at Debre Tabor University (August 2022- March 2025)
• Lecturer at Debre Tabor University in the Department of English Language and Literature (2014- August 24th, 2022)
• Lecturer at Begemidir College of Teacher Education (2009- 2013)
• Lecturer at Gondar College of Teacher Education (2006-2008)

• Associate Lecturer at the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Gondar (2006-2007)

Professional Positions

• Course chair of media and communication research at the Department of Journalism and Communication
• Dean, College of Social Science and Humanities at Debre Tabor University (2015-2019)
• Tutor, Higher Diploma Program (HDP) at Begemidir College of Teacher Education (2013- 2014)
• Coordinator, English Language Improvement Center (ELIC) at Begemidir College of Teacher Education (2010-2014)

Additional Training and Qualifications

• Training on Grant Writing at Debre Tabor University (2023)
• A week of Training on Advanced Research Methods at Bahir Dar University (2021)
• A one-year pedagogical training in the Higher Diploma Program (HDP) at Bahir Dar University (2014)
• Two weeks of master trainer training for the National Election Board of Ethiopia (2020)
• Two-week course of Project Design and Management hosted by Peace-Corp Ethiopia/USAID (2012)

Language Skills

• Amharic (mother tongue)
• English: Advanced in using the four language skills

Educational Career

• Ph.D. in Media and Communication Studies at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
• M.Ed. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at Bahir Dar University
• B.Ed. in Teaching English Language and Literature at Bahir Dar University
• Higher Diploma in Higher Education Diploma programs at Bahir Dar University

Journalism Career

• Freelance journalist and Editor at Zemera Multimedia and Promotion (2020- present)

Publications

• Dessie, B. A., & Kebede, A. Y. (2025). Unpacking the Epistemology of Ethiopian Digital Journalism: An Exploration of News-Making Practices. Journal of Media Ethics, 1-17.

• Wondim, M. G., & Dessie, B. A. (2025, February). Unveiling formative assessment in Ethiopian higher education institutions: practices and socioeconomic influences. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 10, p. 1515335). Frontiers Media SA.
• Wondim, M. G., & Dessie, B. A. (2024). Continuous assessment: the missing link in Ethiopian Universities. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2404778.
• Dessie, B. A., Ali, A. C., & Moges, M. A. (2023). Towards ethno-political advocacy:

Ethiopian journalists’ professional role perceptions in post-EPRDF interregnum. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 10(1), 2168843.Cogent Arts Humanities, 10:1, https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2168843

• Dessie, B. A., Ali, A. C., & Moges, M. A. (2023). Ethnic orientation over ethical underpinnings: Emerging trends of the Ethiopian media landscape. Journalism Practice, 17(9), 1919-1936. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.2024083.
• Behailu, A. (2021).Higher education students’ social media literacy in Ethiopia: A case of Bahir Dar University. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 13(3), 86-96, https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2021-13-3-7.
• Behailu, A. (2019). Participatory Environmental Communication for Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Ethiopia. The Journal of Development Communication,30(2), https://jdc.journals.unisel.edu.my/index.php/jdc/article/view/148
• Behailu, A. & Haftamu, M. (2017). An investigation of the potential attributes for tourist destinations in six selected heritage sites of South Gondar and the challenges in availing these heritage sites for tourists. Journal of Tourism& Hospitality, 6:3, doi: 10.4172/2167- 0269.1000289
  • Global Media Framing of Conflicts in Ethiopia: A Content Analysis of War Narratives and Hegemonic Interests

Manuscripts Under Review

• Ethical Dilemmas in Ethiopian Digital Journalism in Times of Conflict and Crisis
• Media under the Siege of Ethnocentric Narratives and Hegemony: The Post-EPRDF Ethiopian Political Transition
• Mainstreaming a Culture of Conflict-Sensitive Reporting in Ethiopia through Addressing

Journalists’ Ethical Dilemmas

Supervision of Graduate Students

• Currently, I have been supervising one student in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
• From 2023 to the present, I have been supervising 3 M.A. students in the Department of Journalism and Communication, Bulie Hora University, Ethiopia.
• Between 2022 and 2023, I supervised 5 M. A Student to successful completion in the Department of English Language and Literature, Debre Tabor University, Ethiopia

Invited Presentations

• Public lecture on “Environmental Communication” at Bahir Dar City Walk event held on

June 14, 2024

• The 13th Annual Conference of the East African Communication Association, EACA, Kigali from August 29-31, 2023
• A reflection on the study, “Ethnification of the Ethiopian Media”, hosted by FOJO-IMS, Ethiopian National Media Support, and the University of Gondar on 9th February 2022
• “Enquire into Socio-cultural Changes and Development in Ethiopia, “held at Hawassa University 15-16, 2022
• “Digital media and verification”, a paper presented at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities Seminar at Debre Tabor University on March 6, 2023

Review and External Examinership

• I reviewed one journal article entitled “Journalism away from home: Professional identities in an Ethiopian exile media”, published in Journalism Practice in 2024.
• I reviewed one journal article entitled “Reporting Assassinations in Ethiopian Press,” published in a journal called Discourse and Society in 2024
• I evaluated one Ph.D. proposal titled “Media Governance in Post-1999 Ethiopia’ as an external examiner invited from Dilla University in 2024
• I reviewed three research articles on media and public relations invited from the

Ethiopian Journal of Language, Culture, and Communication (EJLCC) in 2023

• I evaluated three M.A. theses as an external examiner in the Department of Journalism and Communication, Gondar University, in 2022

Research Grants Awarded

• Stress and Trauma Reporting, AGILE project from FOJO Media Institute
• Language Use, Accessibility, and Reception of Amhara Mass Media Agency on Issues about Politics, Health, and Culture, a mega research project funded by Bahir Dar University in 2021.
• Practices and challenges of continuous assessment among public universities of Amhara Regional State, a research project funded by Debre Tabor University in 2017. I was a co- investigator in the project
• An Investigation of the potential attributes for Tourist Destinations in six selected heritage sites of South Gondar and the challenges in attracting Tourists, a research project funded by Debre Tabor University in 2016

Prizes and Recognitions

• Letter of Appreciation from the journal of Discourse & Society in 2024 for reviewing research work
• Letter of Acknowledgment for examining a Ph.D. candidate from Dilla University in 2024
• Letter of Appreciation for reviewing research articles from the Ethiopian Journal of Language, Culture, and Communication (EJLCC) in 2023
• Certificate of Appreciation for presenting a research output from Hawassa University in 2022
• Excellence Award for Master Trainer from the Ethiopian National Electoral Board in 2022
• Excellence in Performance Award for leadership from Debre Tabor University in 2016
• Certificate of Appreciation from Ethiopian National Media Support (ENMS) in 2022
• Certificate for the presentation of a research article at Begemider CTE in 2014
• Certificate of English Language Improvement Center (ELIC) Recognition Award 2012
• Certificate of completion of a training of trainers for Project Design and Management (PDM) from Peace Corps Ethiopia in 2012
• Certificate for Professional Competence from Gondar Woreda Education Office 2010
• Recommendation letters from different personalities and institutions

Professional Membership

• Ethiopian Journalism Educators Network
• Ethiopian Journalism and Communication Network
• Amhara Scholars Council

References

• Dr. Mulatu Alemayehu: Associate Professor, Department of Journalism and Media Studies, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, Email: mulatu.moges@oslomet.nohttps://www.oslomet.no/om/ansatt/mumog3299/ Telephone: +4748627996
• Dr. Adem Chanie: Associate Professor, Department of Journalism and Communication, Bahir Dar University, Email: ademchanie@gmail.com Cell phone: +251-918 701 715
• Dr. Negesse Belay, head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, Email: negessenegesse@gmail.com Cell Phone: +251909019930