on public officials to facilitate access to individuals and the mass media to information so
that matters of public interest may be disclosed and discussed publicly;
Convinced of the need to amend the existing press law and to replace it by a new law that is
commensurable with the ongoing democratic transformation that is taking place in Ethiopia;
Now, therefore, in accordance with Article 55(1) of the Constitution of the Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, it is hereby proclaimed as follows:
PART ONE General Provisions
1. Short Title
This Proclamation may be cited as the “Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to
Information Proclamation No. 590/2008”
2. Definition
In this proclamation unless the context requires otherwise:
1/ “Mass Media” means printed matter that includes periodicals and broadcasters
2/ “Printed Matter” means all material intended for public distribution, including mass media
but also other printed material–including musical works, plays, pictures, cartoons, books,
pamphlets, posters and commercial advertisings as well as audio, visual and audiovisual
recordings, motion pictures and the likes, excluding;
a) official printed matters, notices, minutes, reports, and decisions of legislative, judicial or
executive organs; or
b)materials only intended for the purpose of commerce and transport, domestic and social
life, such as forms ,price lists , printed advertising matter, family advertisements, post cards,
pictorial reproductions, annual business and administrative reports, as well as election
documents.
3/ “Periodical” means printed material which is scheduled to appear in regular sequences of
at least twice a year, which has a fixed title and which has a general distribution aimed at
the entire public or a section thereof, and includes newspapers and magazines.
4/ “Broadcaster” means a body which disseminates broadcast programming, including
through terrestrial transmitters, cable or satellite, for public consumption and for
simultaneous reception, whether or not by subscription, through a radio and/or television
broadcast receiver or other related electronic equipment, but does not include
communications internal to a private organization or a government body.