Addis Abeba — A report released in February this year warns that journalists in Ethiopia continue to operate in an increasingly hostile environment marked by physical danger, legal pressure, and expanding digital surveillance, despite years of official reform pledges.
The findings are detailed in the Annual Assessment Report on Journalist Safety in Ethiopia 2025, published by International Media Support (IMS). The report describes 2025 as "a worrying period for journalists in Ethiopia," citing persistent intimidation, detention, and harassment nationwide. At least 44 journalists were abducted or detained during the year, slightly higher than the 43 recorded in 2024, underscoring what the report calls a continuity of attacks against the press.
National security as a recurring justification
A central finding of the assessment is the continued reliance on national security narratives to justify actions against journalists. Political and conflict developments are "routinely instrumentalized to create safety risks for journalists under the guise of 'national interest,"' the report notes. In practice, this has translated into arbitrary arrests, prolonged pretrial detention, and the use of laws such as the anti-terrorism and hate speech proclamations to intimidate reporters. "Authorities frequently exploit vague provisions" in these laws "to bypass standard legal safeguards," the report states.
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The report's release coincided with a recent decision by the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) purporting to revoke the online media registration certificate of Addis Standard, effective 24 February 2026. The Authority cited "repeated violations of media ethics, national laws, and the country's national interests," without specifying which reports or actions formed the basis of the decision.
Responding to the announcement, Addis Standard's Editor-in-Chief Yonas Kedir rejected the claims, saying the outlet had never received formal notices of violations. The decision has been challenged by JAKENN Publishing PLC, the publisher of Addis Standard, and by newsroom staff, following a legal review that found the announcement exceeded the Authority's procedural powers and conflicted with safeguards under Media Proclamation No. 1238/2021, as amended by Proclamation No. 1374/2025.
Earlier in January this year, EMA announced that Wazema Media, commonly known as Wazema Radio, has returned its operational license in Ethiopia. In a statement, the Authority claimed the media outlet returned its recognition and license because it was "unwilling to work while respecting the Ethiopian Constitution and the Media Proclamation, as well as guidelines and professional ethics." The Authority also claimed Wazema's reporting was found to be "contrary to the country's national interest, lacking balance, [and] failing to include responses from federal and regional governments."
The media outlet rejected the claims. While it confirmed that it had complied with the regulator's directive to return its license, the compliance to return the license was based on the order from the regulator.
Digital surveillance and gendered attacks
Beyond physical threats, the IMS report documents a sharp rise in digital surveillance and online harassment, with women journalists disproportionately affected. Confiscated electronic devices are sometimes returned "with evidence of infection with malware," while journalists report phone surveillance and hacking that has forced them to change devices and numbers.
In April 2025, Ethiopian police raided the Addis Standard newsroom and the home of a senior staff member, briefly detaining three managers and confiscating laptops, phones, and data storage equipment. Reacting to the raid, Muthoki Mumo, Africa Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said the action raised "grave concerns about potential misuse of sensitive data," calling on authorities to drop the investigation and return the equipment.
Women journalists interviewed for the IMS assessment said online violence is often "designed to silence, humiliate, and discredit" them professionally, through threats, sexualized insults, and attacks on their private lives. Many cases go unreported due to fear of retaliation and a lack of trust in accountability mechanisms.
Conflict zones and overlooked vulnerabilities
Risks are most acute in conflict-affected regions such as Amhara and Oromia, where kidnappings, newsroom raids, and equipment confiscations have created what the report describes as "an environment of fear extending from the regional states to the federal level." Journalists with disabilities face additional dangers. The report highlights a "double burden", particularly for women with disabilities, stemming from insecurity in the field and the absence of accommodating work environments, increasing exposure to abuse and exclusion.
Accountability gaps and weak protection mechanisms
Despite the scale of violations, accountability remains limited. The assessment finds significant gaps in holding perpetrators responsible for illegal detention, enforced disappearance, and abduction. Weak institutional mechanisms for monitoring threats, preventing attacks, and providing emergency support continue to undermine journalist safety nationwide.
While initiatives such as the Consortium for the Safety of Journalists have helped secure the release of some detained reporters, the report concludes these efforts remain insufficient in the face of a rapidly securitized and politicized environment.
IMS urges the government to formally recognize journalism as a public good and to institutionalize protection mechanisms. It also calls on media houses to strengthen internal safety policies, especially for women and journalists with disabilities, and recommends expanded digital security training to counter surveillance threats. Without coordinated reforms and accountability, the report warns, Ethiopia's media freedom crisis is likely to deepen.
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New findings reinforce earlier warnings
The IMS assessment builds on an August 2025 study by the Fojo Media Institute, which identified Ethiopia as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Authored by media scholar Terje Skjerdal as part of the global Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS), the research surveyed 363 Ethiopian journalists between 2023 and 2024 and concluded that "Ethiopia features as one of the five most worrisome countries on safety indicators."
According to that study, 26.7 percent of Ethiopian journalists reported having been arrested, detained, or imprisoned at least occasionally in the past five years, nearly seven times the global average of 3.7 percent. Surveillance was also widespread: 46 percent reported being monitored, while 38.6 percent experienced hacking or blocking of media websites and social media accounts.
The two reports paint a consistent picture of a media sector under sustained pressure, where security narratives, legal tools, and digital repression increasingly shape the limits of journalism in Ethiopia, a disturbing trend Addis Standard warned against in its recent editorial.
