Authority issues letter of warning for four International media over false news

Addis Ababa, November 20, 2021 (FBC) – Ethiopian Media Authority issued letter of warning for four international media organizations namely CNN, BBC, Reuters and Associated Press (AP) over false news on current situation in the country.

The Ethiopian Media Authority, in issuing licenses for journalistic operations, expects reports not to endanger Ethiopia’s national interest, territorial integrity, or the peaceful coexistence of the people of Ethiopia.

Since the onset of the law enforcement operation in the Northern Region of Ethiopia by the Federal government, the Ethiopian Media Authority has been monitoring numerous foreign media outlets and conducting a trend analysis on their reporting patterns on the issue.

The Authority said it finds CNN, BBC, Reuters and AP as mainstream news organizations that have consistently disseminated news that sowed seeds of animosity among people and compromised the sovereignty of the country.

Letters issued by the Authority said the media are indulged in manufacturing and dissemination of false news and news analyses on Ethiopia to assist the TPLF’s objectives, reporting the Lew enforcement operation as a genocidal campaign and producing defamatory reports on the country’s leading institutions, among others.

Authority noted that it would be compelled to revoke the license granted to your institution to operate in Ethiopia unless the media are willing to rectify their approach towards Ethiopia.