The following was contributed by ASFL Local Coordinator Bezawit Tesfaye 

Ethiopia faces a challenge of Press Freedom

Ethiopia does not have a free status of the press. All television stations, most newspapers and magazine are state-owned and controlled. News media streaming oppositions on political issues in the country are to be banned from the public. This has been responsible for many local and international journalists on the run.

The government says, ‘Private media sectors go beyond their rights and end up in creating a very bad image on the minds of the generation on issues like the development of the country”.

According to statistics by  Freedom House, an organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights, Ethiopia is next to Eritrea in jailing journalists. Many journalists, who have raised their voice to speak against government policies, are locked up in cell.

Although the Ethiopian constitution guarantees the Freedom of Press, the provisions in the 2005 criminal code limits these rights. Magazine editors, bloggers are forcefully charged. They are tagged as the country’s traitors when they speak ‘ill’ of government’s actions.

The government’s restriction on private media is owed to the fear of the press in checking its excesses. The media serves as the watchdog in any society. A free and independent press is the conscience of this very society.

Ethiopian laws that are written on the constitution are strictly forbidden in practice. Every image that appears on our home screens are carefully selected to reveal the flawless sides of the government. The state has restricted access to television and radio stations, newspapers, magazines, websites and blogs that oppose the government of the day.

As an example, two years before there was a private TV channel on the Arab satellite which was owned by some individuals living outside of Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government immediately blocked the channel from reaching the Ethiopian receivers because it was said to have not given a good picture of the Ethiopian government.

In previous years, some private magazines and private radio stations existed. During elections, much of these media outfits were restricted and some were shut down due to false claims owners and editors are in alliance with terrorist groups, with harmful intentions.

The importance of press freedom cannot be overstated. Ethiopia holds a key position among African countries than to have its media silenced. It’s difficult to stay silent amid the pressing challenges faced by the media and Ethiopia residents. The government needs to allow for the total independence of the press to carry out its activities. This is when the world will truly see us as we are, and the tides will turn for the better.