In any country independent media and transparent Information is an artistry of commerce, free expression and a check on corruption and cronyism. But in Ethiopia’s history it has been the means of propaganda and tools of suppression. The TPLF/EPRDF regime is not an exception; however, unlike any other tyrant who prohibits the operation of independent presses, the regime has mastered the art of deception. For instance, in its quest to hoodwink the international community, and gullible Ethiopians in the make-believe of 'freedom of the press' it came-up with the most elaborate charade ever seen in the history of free press.
To facilitate its deception, the regime oprates mass medias (Two Radio station, one Television and one Internet provider) all under it grips. Instead, it allowed print media to be published with a full control of the printing presses as a sole importer of printing material and as the owner/operator of all the printing presses of newspapers in the country.
The TPLF/EPRDF regime posturing as being the champion of free press is reviled on its own website: (Caution virus infested) Ministry of Information http://www.moinfo.gov.et/ (MOI) - the sole government Minster that decides what media can operate in the county, (license, regulate and enforce the rule). The MOI pride seems only print press circulation section that lists the number of newspapers and their circulation in the country.
Close scrutiny of more than 64 newspapers and 23 magazines listed on it’s website consisting of government, private and religious…etc publications, in three Ethiopian languages (Amharic, Tigrigna, Oromifa) and two foreign language, (English, Arabic) with a total weekly circulation of less than half a million for all newspapers and 200 thousand circulation for the monthly magazines. However, looking at the production closely it becomes evident that, out of 64 newspapers 27 are ‘political and social’ with 350 thousand weekly circulations with the exception of two government owned dailies (Addis Zemen and Ethiopian Herald).
A simple arithmetic reviles the true color of the print media as told by the regime and its enabler’s that 'private media under TPLF/EPRDF is flourishing'. Out of the 350 thousand weekly circulations when we take out government published Addis Zemin (18443) Ethiopian Herald (9,930) and the rueling regime TPLF/EPRDF’s published Abyotawi Democracy (63,230), Woyine (19934) and Oromiya (77709) we end up with 150,758 circulation for the remaining 22 weekly newspapers that are considered “private”, including TPLF’s own ‘private’ newspapers.
What it means is that, on the average, out of the remaining 150 thousands weekly circulation 21 thousand copies are circulating daily consisting of all 22 newspapers (less than 1000 copies) for each newspaper in a country of 80 million populations. Moreover the content is water down by constant harassment and jailing of reporters earning the regime one of the most hostile anti free press government in the world. In comparison, the residence of the City of Addis Ababa uses more napkins in one of the city’s cafe a day than access to news papers.
In contrast, one newspaper in Kenya (the Daily Nation) alone have 200 thousands circulation daily, surpassing all private weekly newspapers in the entire Ethiopia, not to mention Kenya is about one-third of the population of Ethiopia and 100s of private newspapers, 35 radio stations and seven television stations are operational.
In addition, the Ethiopian regime makes sure Ethiopians do not enjoy the modern IT technology by denying them full internet services like many other countries with less than 300 thousands subscribers. Once again Kenya, with one third of the population has three million internet subscribers with more than a dozen private internet providers. Even Somalia, with no central government enjoys better internet service than Ethiopians.
With practically no free press, not a single independent media Association in the country and with a complete black out of vital independent information the regime plays the biggest scam since the invention of the printing press in the early 15th century to dupe the world and unsuspecting Ethiopians in the make-believe free press it claim to allow.
It is common most dictators in Africa would not allow a free press and private mass media to operate; it begs the question why the TPLF/EPRDF regime is creating the make believe free press existence? Who are the regime operatives conspiring to leave the people of Ethiopia in the dark?
We urge concerned Ethiopian's institutions, the international community, and governments to demand the regime to be transparent.
Note: The Minster of Information recently deleted the number of newspapers in circulation in the country along others from its website, which does not have much information to begin with. It is also the only source of information in the country where interested partys find out about the policy of the regime and who is who in the media. We, therefore, demand the regime to be transparent and provide all information on the free press and the media to the public.
