Ethiopia: Ethiopia Suspends the Reporter Indefinitely in Escalating Assault On Independent Media

What the report says

Ethiopia’s media regulator has indefinitely suspended The Reporter, an established independent newspaper that publishes in Amharic and English, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The action was announced by the Ethiopian Media Authority on November 2 and applies to the outlet’s publisher, Media and Communication Center PLC, under the country’s 2021 media law.

The regulator accused the newspaper and its digital platforms of repeatedly publishing material it said undermined national interests, harmed Ethiopia’s image, threatened national security and breached journalistic ethics. It also claimed the outlet had published distorted and unbalanced information and content that could hurt foreign investment, tourism and diplomacy. CPJ said the authority did not identify any specific article to back up those claims.

CPJ urged Ethiopian authorities to reverse the suspension immediately, arguing that the regulator is being used to silence independent reporting. The organization said the move fits a broader pattern of pressure on media outlets in Ethiopia, where other journalists and publications have also faced restrictions in recent years. As additional context, media-law watchdogs have often warned that vague national security or public interest standards can be used to justify censorship when regulators are given broad discretion.