
Addis Abeba – Samson Mekonnen (PhD), Vice President for Strategic Communication and Internationalization at Addis Ababa University, has been appointed as the new Director General of the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA) following his nomination’s approval by lawmakers earlier today.
Samson, 32, will succeed Mohammed Idris, who was appointed in April 2021. Mohammed recently assumed the role of Minister of Peace.
Samson takes office at a time when the government is advocating for contentious amendments to the Media Proclamation. The proposed revisions to Ethiopia’s Media Proclamation No. 1238-2021 are currently under review by the Standing Committee on Democracy Affairs, following their referral by the House of Peoples’ Representatives on 29 October, 2024.
One significant change in the draft amendment would shift the authority to appoint the Media Authority’s Director General from parliament to the Prime Minister’s office.
In November 2024, a coalition of 14 civil society organizations expressed concern over the proposed amendments, cautioning that the changes could place the media authority “under the influence of the executive.”
They also highlighted the removal of Article 9(1 and 2), which mandated “transparency in the process of nominating and approving board members,” and Article 11(6), which “prohibits board members from political party membership or holding government office.”
Furthermore, the coalition raised concerns about the transfer of key responsibilities, such as issuing warnings, renewing licenses, and suspending operations, from the board to the Authority’s direct control. AS