Position Paper 3 - Authoritarian Media

Hannah Diffee

Professor Reppert

Foreign Language Media in America

Nov. 2024

Position Paper 3 - Authoritarian Media

Around the world, many governments impose restrictions on press freedom, freedom of speech, and other essential civil liberties. According to the 2023 Democracy Index, nearly 40% of the world's population, across 60 countries, lives under authoritarian rule. In these regimes, journalists often experience "censorship, persecution, and threats to their life" (Global Investigative Journalism Network) in retaliation for their reporting. The Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index shares that the countries with the most severe restrictions are Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea. Citizens in those countries must rely on independent news outlets or citizen journalists for reliable and accurate information. 

Eritrea

Eritrea is a country in Eastern Africa, bordered by Ethiopia and Sudan, with an estimated population between 3.4 million and 5.8 million. No official census has been conducted. The country gained legal independence from Ethiopia in 1993, at which point Isaias Afwerki was declared the first president and head of state. He has been in power ever since, choosing to postpone federal elections "indefinitely" to maintain control.

Amnesty International reports that "Eritrea’s human rights situation showed no sign of improvement" in 2023. The government has continued violating fundamental rights, carrying out widespread violence, and detaining dissenters. Its list of violations includes:

• Sexual violence against women in the Tigray region of Ethiopia
• Denying detainees' right to judicial review and legal counsel
• Enforced disappearances of journalists, politicians, and religious congregations
• Discriminating against and detaining those belonging to "unrecognized" faith groups
• Interfering with the Afar Indigenous People's way of life
• Forced military and national conscription service

The Eritrean government dismisses all accusations as "fallacious" and argues that the U.S. government does not care about the welfare of the African nation. 

"US State Department’s 'Eritrea 2023 Human Rights Report' once again peddles, with higher pitch this time round, a litany of its usual, fallacious and long-discredited accusations against the country."

- Eritrean Ministry of Information

Afwerki banned all independent media outlets in 2001 when the country transitioned to a dictatorship. Existing media in the country is tightly controlled by the Ministry of Information, which shares biased content praising the regime for advancements in human rights and political affairs and criticizing those against its policies. 

Above: The Ministry of Information claimed that U.S. legislators made "preposterous allegations" against Eritrea.

Eritrean Press

Due to the unreliability of Eritrean media, many citizens have launched their own news organizations operating in foreign countries. Eritrean Press (EP) is an independent media outlet from Britain. The outlet has over 503,000 followers on Facebook but now primarily shares information on its X (Twitter) page. It covers content about Eritrean life, sports, politics, and satire.

The owner, known simply as "J," launched the outlet in 2014, inspired by his patriotism and the tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia. He wanted to provide the people of his country with an online news service that combated Eritrea's "propaganda war" and weak media landscape. He now considers himself one of the president's opponents. EP has shifted its lens over time, criticizing the government for its failure in areas like housing and supporting it in other endeavors. In a November 30 tweet, EP condemned President Afwerki for "blabbering" during a press interview. 

Regarding the critical matter of local issues, the President was responding to every question with more questions, as usual.

The President blabbering AGAIN that certain tasks must be “completed first before we engage” in his usual jargon.

All of these matters fall under his… https://t.co/LQGlsqOWjD

— Eritrean Press (@EritreanPress) December 1, 2024

J has maintained anonymity since 2014, even amongst his team of volunteer writers. He told the BBC,

"No one knows who I am. I'd be in prison."

Radio Erena
Radio Erena is recognized as the country's "only independent and impartial radio broadcaster." Founded in 2009 by Swedish-Eritrean journalist Biniam Simon, the broadcaster aims to be a trustworthy news source for people in a country that represses independent and foreign media. Simon created the outlet as "a link between the people of Eritrea and the rest of the world since Eritrea's dictatorial government ensures that the country is isolated and people are deprived of access to information." The journalist previously worked for the government television network EriTV and took asylum in France in 2007. He and his team operate from a small studio in France, broadcasting news in Tigrinya and Arabic into Eritrea.

Above: Biniam Simon (left) and Fathi Osman, a
former diplomat, broadcast Radio Erena from Paris
(The Guardian).

Radio Erena app icon

The organization operates via satellite, the internet, and a mobile app. The app is optimized for Apple and Android devices and gives users access to live broadcasts, recorded shows, and integrated social media posts. Users can even send images, text, audio, and videos directly from their phones to the broadcaster through the Radio Reporter feature. This feature is highly effective, as Radio Erena receives most of its news from citizen journalists.

Both the Eritrean Press and Radio Erena serve as invaluable sources of information in a country isolated from the rest of the world. Each organization must receive substantial financial support from stakeholders to continue their missions into the future.