(CPJ)- In what appears to be one of a collection of measures to silence
the press ahead of 2015 elections, Ethiopian authorities in the
Communications Ministry are preparing a new system to control the
distribution of print media. Privately owned newspapers and magazines,
possibly the only remaining independent news sources in the country,
would face more state control if the proposal is set into motion.
Originally proposed in February, the new measures are still at a draft
stage. They aim to ensure that private newspapers and magazines are
distributed through one company with links to the ruling party,
according to local journalists.
The proposal, entitled "A Draft Document for Making the Print Media
Accessible," claims that supporters of the opposition are mainly in
control of the current newsprint distribution system, according to the
draft proposal in my possession.
Members of the media and some observers have sharply criticized the
government's move to hand over circulation to a single company. The step
comes after the anti-terrorist law of 2009, which criminalized
reporting on opposition groups and has intimidated many journalists into
self-censorship. Since 2011, 11 journalists have been given harsh
prison terms under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism law, and five are currently
serving sentences under this legislation.
While the reach of independent newspapers is negligible, with roughly
90,000 copies a week circulating in a population of 90 million, the
papers are significant because there are no other independent media
sources in Ethiopia. The state controls the only television station, and
out of five privately-operated radio stations, three are wholly
pro-government while the rest toe the state line.
"I am suspicious of this move," said freelance journalist Betre Yacob.
"These enterprises are created by the government to push their own
political agendas and interests. I am sure this particular case will be
similar--where the distribution company is used to ensure only positive
government news is distributed." Betre is president of the independent
Ethiopian Journalists Forum, a contributor to several Ethiopian news
sites, and a former political columnist for the now-defunct local
magazine Ebony.
Currently, publishers of newspapers and magazines either distribute
directly to retailers across the country, or contract trusted private
distributors to do so for them. Under the new proposal, a company with
direct government links would take copies from the printers and control
distribution. Local journalists fear that the new company would block
distribution if the government deems a publication too critical.
According to the draft proposal, print media suffers from the lack of a
legal framework governing the current distribution system. The proposal
claims most distributors do not have designated areas in which to
circulate or proper identification. It also suggests that giving the
distribution work to a company with some information about the media
will help the industry as well as create jobs for youth.
However, independent journalists argue that the biggest challenge for
Ethiopia's media industry is not the print distribution system but
government intervention and suppression of the flow of free information.
"The government should take its hands off the media. Giving the
distribution of newspapers and magazines to a politically motivated
enterprise does not solve the problem," Betre said. "Instead it just
adds fuel to a fire."
Another bad sign for publishers is a study conducted this year by the
pro-government Ethiopian Press Agency, a state-controlled news wire,
analyzing the editorial content of certain magazines. Published in
February, the study claimed that seven magazines were responsible for
inciting violence and terrorist acts and upholding opposition
viewpoints, according to local news reports.
Local journalists working for these publications fear that the study
will be used as a pretext to censor them. "Magazines are some of the few
independent publications left in circulation here," said one local
journalist based in the capital, Addis Ababa, who did not wish to be
identified for safety reasons. Betre concurs, saying, "The release of
this research could indicate that the government is preparing to silence
these magazines."
The prohibitive cost of printing in Ethiopia also serves as a barrier to
media freedom. Because of a fear of censorship from the state printer,
independent publications prefer to use private printers, even though
they often lack the capacity to produce sufficient copies. At times,
security agents infiltrate these private printing companies, local
journalists said. "It is very challenging to find a printing house
willing to publish independent publications," Betre said. "Sometimes
agents warn printing houses not to print a particular publication and so
they fear any association with the private press."
These challenges, along with high taxation, are already having a
detrimental effect on independent publications. While newspapers pay a
reasonable publishing tax of two percent of their sales after printing
each edition, annual taxes can sometimes equal a months' total sales
revenue, if not more. After six years in circulation, the local Ebony magazine closed in April due to the high annual income tax and printing costs, according to a local news report. Authorities recently demanded business income tax of 143,000 birr (US$7,300) from the independent newspaper Ethio-Midhar, an amount equivalent to their annual gross revenue, the same report said.
Unlike overt political interference such as the recent jailing of nine
journalists, which has drawn a local and international outcry, these
economic measures have the potential to undermine an alternative
Ethiopian narrative without drawing public attention. If adopted, the
new distribution system would subtly but effectively silence any
critical publication ahead of May 2015 elections.
The author is an Ethiopian journalist in exile. He chooses not to be identified for his security.
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