Apart from the grave humanitarian crisis posed by the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia, there is a disturbing trend in the freedom of the press, with junior journalists facing violence and threats with little hope of getting information. The Ethiopian state has issued a communication blackout order in northern parts of the country where violence broke out in November 2020, and this affects the activities of correspondents on the inequities and violence that encompass mass murder, killings, and sexual violence. The restriction of extensive media coverage is deliberate to prevent any external orders on how the war is rationally presented, escalated by blatant lies from both sides. Journalists have faced harassment, including being detained or beaten while attempting to report the war.
The escalation of information management has fostered the rampant use of social media as a battlefield among rival factions. The Ethiopian government and the Tigray forces have also utilized the platforms to entrench more confusion and mistrust regarding the conflict. At the same time, the latter asserts the government is the one propagating the untruths. This infodemic increases challenges for reporters faced with the risk of being violently attacked and the complex landscape of often contradictory and aggressive verbal posturing.
The suffocating silence and the media blackouts that characterized the Tigray war remind us of the urgent need for the international community to intervene on behalf of reporters and press freedom activists in Ethiopia. Dangers and risks abound even during peacetime journalism in Ethiopia, thus further diminishing hopes for peace and accountability in the country. This conflict should be reconciled. However, it would be hard to do so presently without restoring media freedoms that allow for truthful journalism and civil discourse as opposed to the current situation.
I think this is a really good example in understanding from where we are getting information from and what agenda and biases exist when it comes to the content presented to us and from what news channel and website. I think in addition to that the example of Palestinian and Lebanon extent of coverage also becomes relevant, where more than 200 journalist have been intentionally killed. This shows the importance of critical engagement with media and what intent is present in blocking certain journalistic claims and providing access to others.