These proposed amendments are a serious setback in the gains made by the 2021 law and will threaten independent journalism in Ethiopia. In 2021, the passage of the Media Proclamation, which decriminalized defamation and removed pre-trial detention for media offences, was hailed as a positive step towards protecting media freedom in Ethiopia. This progress is now threatened by new amendments under consideration that could weaken the independence of the Ethiopia Media Authority (EMA) and tighten the government’s control of media regulation in the name of administrative efficiency. 

The draft bill introduces new procedures for appointing EMA board members, granting the prime minister the power to nominate its director, and removing existing conflict-of-interest rules prohibiting members and employees of political parties from serving on the board. It also introduces a vague stipulation that the EMA Board be composed of representatives from different bodies relevant to the media. Under the current law, membership of the Board consists of representatives from civil society organizations, media, and other institutions that have relevance to the media sector, infusing the Board with diverse expertise.

The proposed amendments also transfer the media licensing allocation powers, including the power to refuse license registration or to renew, suspend, revoke, warn, fine, and terminate a program, from the Board to the Authority, potentially reducing the inherent checks and balances. This is especially concerning given examples of arbitrary license suspensions and the sanctioning of critical local and foreign journalists. 

"An independent regulatory body is indispensable to press freedom. Governments should therefore ensure the independence of media regulatory bodies, in line with their commitments to safeguard freedom of expression and media freedom as guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” Dr. Marystella Simiyu, IPI’s Africa Senior Legal Advocacy Officer, said. 

"We therefore strongly urge lawmakers to reject any proposed amendments that compromise the independence of the media regulator and that are incompatible with these international principles and commitments,” she added.

Source: International Press Insitute (IPI)