Ethiopia suspends The Reporter's licence indefinitely

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 4 November 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring

Ethiopia's media regulator has indefinitely suspended The Reporter, accusing the independent outlet of publishing material contrary to national interests. The order covers its print editions and online platforms.

Summary

ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia’s media regulator has indefinitely suspended the publisher of The Reporter, an independent newspaper with English and Amharic editions, accusing it of reporting against national interests.

The order took effect on November 2, 2026, AFP reported through Africanews. The Abay Times identified the publisher as Media and Communication Center PLC and said the suspension covers both print editions and its online platforms.

Regulator cites national interests

The Ethiopian Media Authority said the outlet would remain suspended until legal and professional ethical obligations were met. It did not specify an end date, according to the reports.

The authority accused The Reporter of repeatedly publishing material contrary to Ethiopia’s national interests, distributing distorted information that harmed investment, tourism and diplomacy, and carrying unbalanced reporting. Those are the regulator’s allegations, not independently established findings. The reports did not identify the specific articles the authority cited.

Earlier warnings and the outlet’s response

The Abay Times reported that the regulator said it had monitored the outlet for more than a year, held repeated discussions with its owner and editors-in-chief, and issued a final warning before the suspension. The authority said it saw no improvement.

The newspaper had not publicly responded by the afternoon of November 2, The Abay Times reported, and its English website was still online at that time. The Reporter has been in print for about 30 years, according to the publication. New Business Ethiopia identified journalists Amare Aregawi and Abebe Balcha as its founders, and reported that Balcha later left the company.

Wider press freedom context

The decision follows separate actions involving other media outlets and journalists. Africanews reported that the authority revoked the license of independent outlet Addis Standard in February 2026 and that the outlet appealed. It also reported that a correspondent for the French daily La Croix was expelled in June.

Reporters Without Borders ranked Ethiopia 148th of 180 countries in its 2026 press freedom index, compared with 145th in 2025. The organization describes a polarized media environment, widespread self-censorship and continued detention of journalists covering conflicts; those assessments concern the broader media climate, not the specific allegations against The Reporter.

ATTRIBUTION: Prepared by JournalismPakistan staff, based on Africanews with AFP on November 3, 2026; The Abay Times and New Business Ethiopia on November 2, 2026; and Reporters Without Borders.

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.