A slim majority (51%) of respondents assess their country's media as "somewhat free" or "completely free," while 44% consider the media "not very" or "not at all" free. Media freedom and independence were dealt a further blow in 2021 when Ethiopia's House of Peoples' Representatives appointed politicians to the board of the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA). Until April 2018, more than 200 media outlets had been banned. These media outlets are now in operation, albeit under erratic conditions. The pre-reform period of media in Ethiopia was marked by disrespect for media laws, which limited journalists' freedom of expression (Tufa & Dejene, 2023).

Source: Ethiopian News May 03, 2024 06:33 UTC