Press Freedom Is Not A Luxury!
When Ethiopia enacted its landmark Mass Media Proclamation in 2021, it was widely hailed as a watershed moment for democratic reform in the Horn of Africa. The law was designed to usher in a new era of open civic dialogue, explicitly guaranteeing editorial independence, decriminalizing defamation, and enshrining the longstanding constitutional promise of free expression. Coupled with clear and explicit guarantees under Article 29 of the Constitution and various international instruments to which the nation is a signatory—including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights—the institutional foundation for a vibrant, independent fourth estate finally appeared secure, robust, and permanent. Yet today, that promising…