News: Coalition of civil society, media associations warn proposed amendment to Ethiopia's media law threatens regulatory independence
Addis Abeba– A coalition of 14 media association and civil society organizations expressed concern over the proposed amendment to Ethiopia’s Mass Media Proclamation, warning that it would place “the media regulatory body under the influence of the executive,” and describing the draft’s submission process as lacking “transparency and inclusiveness.”
The draft amendment set to amend Ethiopia’s Media Proclamation No. 1238-2021 is currently under review by the Standing Committee on Democracy Affairs, having been referred by the House of Peoples’ Representatives on October 29, 2024.
In a joint statement released on 12 November, the groups, including the Ethiopian Mass Media Professionals Association (EMMA), Ethiopian Media Women Association (EMWA), Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) and Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD), warned that the draft amendments were submitted to parliament “without an independent study” and “adequate stakeholder discussions.”
Among the key changes flagged by the organizations is the removal of Article 8(2), which previously mandated the House of Peoples’ Representatives to appoint the Director General of Ethiopia’s Media Authority. Under the proposed amendment, this power would shift to the Prime Minister’s office.
The organizations also noted that the amendment removes Article 9(1 and 2), which required “transparency in the process of nominating and approving board members,” of the authority and Article 11(6), which “prohibits board members from political party membership or government office.”
Additionally, they noted that responsibilities such as issuing warnings, renewing licenses, and suspending operations, which were previously overseen by the board, would now fall directly under the Authority’s jurisdiction.
The organizations stated that these changes, combined with the transfer of certain board responsibilities to the Authority, “not only concentrates power in one body but also opens the door to undue influence.”
The coalition calls for “research-based evidence” to justify the need for amendments and recommends that parliament “engage in meaningful discussion” with stakeholders prior to any approval.
The warning in the joint statement comes in the heels of an already rising concern about an unprecedented deterioration of press freedom in Ethiopia.
This week, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) presented to the UN’s Human Rights Council a five-year review of press freedom in Ethiopia ahead of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ethiopia at the 47th Session which took place on 12 Novemebr by the UN’s Human Rights Council.
In the report, CPJ presented evidence of numerous arrests and arbitrary detentions of journalists, and warned that Ethiopia is experiencing a significant decline in press freedom since Ethiopia’s last Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report detailed the arbitrary detention, physical violence, harassment, and severe legal restrictions Ethiopian journalists face, reinforcing a recent report by Addis Standard detailing the alarming decline in press freedom in Ethiopia compounded by arrests and exile of journalists amid political turmoil.
Ethiopia ranked among the top three worst jailers of journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2020, 2021, and 2023, according to CPJ’s annual Prison Census, a snapshot of journalists behind bars on December 1 each year.
The joint statement statement by the colation of civil society and media associations acknowledged that the existing Media Proclamation, enacted after the 2018 political reforms, has faced “practical challenges in ensuring media freedom,” but it iremains “the main measure for protecting independent journalism and mass media rights.” AS
