S2 E3 Brave New Media: Media Freedom and Civil War

This is Brave New Media – a global podcast featuring journalists and editors from around the world telling their stories as part of our mission to create a healthier media ecosystem.

In series two, we explore stories the critical roles media can play in different contexts - and how these roles impact their relationship with political powers.

Each episode features a specialist who digs deep into the issues uncovered by our Brave New Media outlets, and provides possible solutions.

In this final episode of series two, we meet Argaw Ashine, an Ethiopian journalist who co-founded the media outlet Wazema.

Argaw tells us how Wazema began in exile, after he and the other founders had to flee Ethiopia due to the risky political environment.

But in 2020, taking advantage of a period of media liberalisation in Ethiopia, they decided to return and move Wazema’s operation there.

Argaw explains that after a golden period, when Wazema helped create a more democratic and inclusive space, the outbreak of civil war brought an end to the media freedoms they enjoyed.

And now, Wazema faces a constant struggle to uphold the public interest amid the turmoil of conflict.

Our specialist interview for this episode is with Rashwear Mukundu, advisor on African media policy for International Media Support (IMS).

A transcript of the episode is available here:

Brave New Media is a co-production between BBC Media Action and Holy Mountain. It’s presented by Maha Taki and produced by Saskia Black. To contact us, email: media.action@bbc.co.uk

Show Links:

https://wazemaradio.com

https://www.youtube.com/@Wazemaradio

https://www.mediasupport.org

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