Ethiopia’s media regulator suspends The Reporter indefinitely

The Ethiopian Media Authority has suspended The Reporter’s print and online license indefinitely, prohibiting publication of its English- and Amharic-language editions and online content. The regulator said the suspension took effect immediately when it announced the decision on 2 November.

Human Rights Watch describes The Reporter as one of Ethiopia’s few remaining independent outlets and its last privately owned Amharic newspaper. Days before the suspension, the newspaper had warned that the country’s private press faced a precarious period and called for reforms to prevent its collapse.

The Reporter is owned by the Media and Communications Center, which founded it in 1995. Journalist Amare Aregawi was a co-founder.

The regulator’s allegations

The authority accused The Reporter of repeatedly violating laws and media ethics by publishing content against national interests and distorted information that harmed foreign investment, tourism and diplomacy. It also alleged sensationalized headlines, selective reporting that created public confusion, biased coverage, damage to national security and unity, and unverified information that damaged institutions' reputations. The authority did not cite specific articles, The Abay Times said.

The regulator said it had monitored the outlet for more than a year, discussed the alleged breaches with its owner and editors, and saw no improvement after a final warning. It cited Proclamation No. 1238/2013 as the basis for suspending the registration of publisher Media and Communication Center PLC. The newspaper is owned by the Media and Communications Center.

Pressure on the press

Human Rights Watch called the suspension part of a government assault on media and civic space, saying vague national-interest claims were increasingly being used to shut down critical reporting. The organization said authorities had banned numerous outlets, deported foreign correspondents and subjected local journalists to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and office raids since 2025.

The Reporter had not publicly responded by the afternoon of 2 November, when its English website was still online, The Abay Times said. The authority said publication must cease until the outlet fully meets its legal and professional-ethics obligations. Human Rights Watch urged Ethiopia’s government to heed the newspaper’s warning and called on international partners to press the government to reverse course.