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BOOK DESCRIPTIONA Groundbreaking Insider's Account of the Epic Struggle for a Free Press in One of the World's Most Dynamic Nations In April 2018, Ethiopia shocked the world. A new prime minister took office, freed jailed journalists, and pledged to build a vibrant, independent media. For a breathtaking moment, a nation long defined by state control of information experienced a ""Window of Hope."" Newspapers published explosive investigations, new TV stations hit the airwaves, and citizens engaged in unprecedented public debate. Ethiopia was hailed as a democratic miracle in the making. But the miracle was short-lived. In Ethiopia's Media at a Crossroads, Ewnetu Bilata Debela-a former State Minister of Government Communications who served on the boards of the country's most powerful media institutions-provides an unparalleled, authoritative narrative of this dramatic decade. From the front row of the reform process, he traces how the initial euphoria gave way to a sophisticated ""authoritarian drift,"" where control is exercised not through brute force, but through legalistic regulation, financial dependency, and psychological pressure that forces journalists to become their own censors. This is more than a political history; it is a masterful analysis of how modern authoritarianism works. Debela reveals the subtle architecture of control: How regulatory bodies are systematically captured to punish dissent. How conflict and ""national unity"" are used to justify the silencing of independent voices. How a culture of fear and self-censorship becomes institutionalized, shrinking the public sphere. Yet this is not a story of despair. Ethiopia's Media at a Crossroads concludes with a concrete, actionable blueprint for reform-a roadmap to build a media ecosystem that is professionally independent, financially sustainable, and trusted by the public. Essential reading for policymakers, journalists, scholars, and anyone seeking to understand the battle for democracy in the 21st century, this book offers: An Unprecedented Insider's View: The first account from a high-level official who helped design and witnessed the unraveling of Ethiopia's media reforms. A New Analytical Framework: The concept of ""authoritarian drift"" explains how democracies can be slowly hollowed out through legal and institutional means. A Vital Case Study: A sobering yet hopeful examination of the struggle for a free press in a pivotal African nation at a critical historical juncture. Ethiopia's Media at a Crossroads is a powerful and urgent testament to the idea that a nation's story must be told by its people, not dictated by its power.

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