Someone recently suggested that I may be damaging the credibility of my reports by “coming across as too one-sided”, and that perhaps if I “attempted to better balance my views in the future” I might be able to interest (or even engage in on-site dialogue) some of the potentially sympathetic and influential diplomats in this country.
Well, how about that!
My only reason for writing is to provide a glimpse into life at present in Ethiopia—which means disclosing things as they really are; the very name of the blog is meant to suggest the extreme polarity we have been thrust into post-election. The EPRDF has made it unmistakeably clear over the past year that ‘all who are not with them are against them’, and their brute force alone has made it easy enough for me to choose the latter.
Also, freedom of speech does not exist here. Aside from the blogs and news portals, no truly independent media sources exist to report what is actually occuring, leaving only the state-controlled media in full operation (and it is certainly no secret that presenting “fair and balanced reports” to the international community is not high on their agenda as of late). Considering this information monopoly, it naturally follows that anything to the contrary appears biased. Even the truth.
But for those of you who nonetheless question my integrity, rest assured. There is no need for me to bother omiting details or spinning any stories; the most basic facts of life in this country provide more food for dissent than anything I could hope to create.
Currently in Ethiopia, people are being imprisoned, tortured and killed on a regular basis for merely expressing their opinions.
Sorry. I cannot find the means nor motivation to frame such horrors so that they appear “balanced” (…understandable. Excusable. Forgiven.) Enough disappointing news articles and watered-down country-assessment reports abound. Enough people already turn and look the other way.
I do not intend to join them.
______________________________________
mengedegna@gmail.com
A ferenji resident shares views on Ethiopian political and social issues.
9 comments:
Amen! Mengedena, don't listen to any woayne underlings or plain ignorant pundits who have no idea what the hell they are talking about.
Of course, you would not join the frifari lekames who live to eat rather than eat to live.
Thank you and Keep up the good job!
You keep on rocking!
Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless. It takes courage and strength, we the spirit of the All High protect you and keep you safe. Thank you once again
please rest assured that u r a priceless defender to the majority of ethiopians.
i wonder how much a media outlet the eprdf has.
let me try to count
Ethiopia radio
etv
fm radio all broadcast
adiss zemen
ethiopia herald
barissa
woyin
et al..
private media
Radio fana
abyotawi democracy
walta
reporter
balderas
and many more the so called private.
They hoped that by preaching day and night the guiltiness of CUD leaders with all these media can make people believe that they are guility.but this strategy might be worked for hitler.but not here.
if the whole medias of the world acknowledge them as saint and if only u r claiming no they keep on harassing u.
By the way All the journalists that languish in the jail are for nothing other than this for nate giving a blessing for his day light massacre.
It is my prayer for u to be safe.
and keep on bringing the evil.
Lewit,
I higly respect your recent article with respect to reporting a fair and balanced news. You are reporting the truth.....and if some people are uncomfortable with that then that is their problem NOT yours.
The Police State that EPRDF has created cannot go on forever and those people serving EPRDF need to look at themselves in the mirror and answer some pretty tough questions..i.e why do we kill innocent people on the street, why are any real opposition politician in prison, why are so many journalist in prison, etc?
The answer is obvious to all of us. Lewit, you are doing a superb job and I hope one day that you will be recognized as a true friend of Ethiopia and humanity while others turn their face against humanity.
I would very much like to donate money to your site, could you please provide a mechanism on your site of being able to receive donations by credit card or something. I'm sure you would use the money for a useful purpose.
Cheers,
UK
Lewit,
What you are doing is a very good antidepressant for me. Thank you, thank you. If my pen was as sharp as yours, I would have died writing!
keep going!!!
Yesidamow
Hi Megedena
i say well done in setting out the brutalities that happen everyday in our country. But i ,I think represent the silent majority, have a problem with a media who wheteher pro or against EPRDF only report one sided story, you say there is no independent press, so if we take any measure of independence you cannot be described as independent as if you were, you would report things that EPRDF yes we have to admit get right. One example is the IMF report which congratulate EPRDF policy on being pro poor , you may disagree with this but it is a fact, as the international org are only means by which we can judge if countries have performed well economically or not. once you start presenting a balanced picture then you can be decsribed as independent and let the readers decide otherwise you become like the EPRDF media, i am not suggesting that you should water down any of your reports but i urge to also report some good news about my country. as an ethio living abroad i get frustrated by media groups who are effectively political parties as they do not abide by the rules which govern indepedence of the media.
while i appreciate you are a ferenji, you may want to play contructive role in changing things in my country so i ask you this do you realy think megaphoen diplomacy will work or working beind teh scene to convince as many diplomats to put enough pressure on this regime to change course, refelct on it
try offer some suggestions to get my country out of the quagmire rather using inflmmatory language to polarise people.
ashenafi ke london
Keep up the good work....afterall, journalism is about reporting the truth... keep up being the voice of the voiceless people, who do not have freedom of speech, who do not have access to media....I strongly agree with U...
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