The purpose of the study is to increase the knowledge about the media landscape in Ethiopia and to identify potential entry points for Swedish support in line with the Swedish strategy.

The study is not academic to its nature, or claims to present all answers on how to best design media support in the contemporary Ethiopian context. It should rather be seen as a basis for further discussions on challenges and potential entry points for support that can improve freedom, independence and professionalism of the Ethiopian media.

The study thus intends to contribute to:

• Better understanding of the conditions for supporting structures for the strengthening of free, independent, professional media in Ethiopia, contributing to transparency and accountability, access to information and freedom of expression.

• Strategies, entry-points, approaches and activities proposed to strengthen free, independent, professional media and journalism in Ethiopia contributing to transparency, accountability, access to information and freedom of expression.

The scope of this study thus differs from the Government Communication Affairs Office’s (GCAO) request to the EU-delegation to Ethiopia, (March 2017), as this request mainly focuses on government communication. However, there are several areas that coincide:

• The GCAO has among its objectives to ensure “the expansion of a modern, accessible and multi-faceted media in the country”.

• The proposal states that “access to information is critical for enabling citizens to herald their voice, to effectively monitor and hold government to account, and to enter into informed dialogue about decisions, which affect their lives”.

• The proposal also identifies a lack of ample understanding of the Media and Information Freedom Proclamation (among civil servants) as well as a lack of capacity among media professionals to promote good governance and to create a system of transparency and accountability by carrying out investigative reporting. The analysis also implies a general lack of professional, vocational competence among media professionals that needs to be addressed.

• Finally, the proposal stresses the importance of designing systems to help identify knowledge, skills and professional shortcomings of the media in collecting and disseminating information. Suggestions are to arrange panel discussions, short trainings and field visits as well as providing foreign professionals with the possibility to give trainings in Ethiopia.