₦airaland Forum

Armed with placards that read "Stop BBC," "Stop CNN" and "Stop FAKE news on Ethiopia," supporters of Ethiopia's government are protesting in cities across the world.

Their demand: an end to what they see as biased coverage of the war in Ethiopia. Many blame international media outlets for what Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called "a sophisticated narrative war waged against the nation."

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was praised for releasing journalists and supporting a free press when he came to power.

But more recently he said on Twitter that journalists are "using disinformation as a pathway for their sinister moves. Each Ethiopian must play a role in pushing back and reversing the distorted narrative."

His comments are backed by action from the country's government and media regulator, both of which have issued warnings and restrictions for foreign and local media.

A state of emergency announced November 2 also allows authorities to "cancel licenses or suspend any media outlet or journalist providing moral support to terrorist groups, directly or indirectly," Ethiopia's attorney general, Gedion Timothewos, said at a press conference.

Further guidance came from the country's State of Emergency Operation Command on November 25, in the form of four rules that included bans on sharing details of military activity and updates on the front line, and assisting what Ethiopia deems to be terrorist groups.

Authorities have said action will be taken against those who use freedom of speech as a pretext to "support the terrorist group either directly or indirectly" — an apparent reference to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which Ethiopia's government designated a terrorist group.

The ruling could be used to block reporting on the TPLF or the Oromo Liberation Army, a rebel group that is also fighting the central government.

The regulatory Ethiopian Media Authority has already warned foreign outlets including CNN, BBC, Reuters and The Associated Press about reporting that it said "sowed seeds of animosity among people and compromised the sovereignty of the country."

The authority on November 19 threatened to revoke licenses and said the outlets had failed to "rectify journalistic misconduct" previously flagged.

The warning is the latest example, observers say, of Ethiopian efforts to discredit, intimidate or block reporting on the conflict. The federal government has repeatedly accused foreign media of sympathizing with or supporting the TPLF in their coverage of the war.

Over a dozen journalists have been arrested since fighting broke out in November 2020. At least one foreign journalist was expelled, and in July, the license of the news website Addis Standard was briefly revoked.

In October, the media regulator told the Ethiopian broadcaster Ahadu Radio and TV to cease sharing foreign news reports.

As a VOA affiliate, the station relied on the U.S. broadcaster for foreign news content. But it stopped airing those segments after receiving the order.

https://www.voanews.com/a/ethiopia-government-clamps-down-on-war-coverage/6335716.html

If the government is winning the war they would never clamp down on the media reportage but if reverse is the case you would begin to hear and see all kind of excuses to shut down the media....!! Its an old and well known script....!!!

Valkrie:
If the government is winning the war they would never clamp down on the media reportage but if reverse is the case you would begin to hear and see all kind of excuses to shut down the media....!! Its an old and well known script....!!!

Nah.