5. Right to Publish and Organize
1/ Without prejudice to the provisions of Art icle 7 of this Proclamation, every Ethiopian
national has the right to establish a mass media.
2/ Journalists have a right to organize themselves into professional associations of their
choice.
PART TWO
Right to Engage in Mass Media Activities
6. Editor-in-chief
1/ The mandate of the editor in chief designated by the publisher encompasses the power
to supervise the publication of the periodical and to determine the contents thereof in such a
way that nothing may be printed therein against his will. Any practice or agreement that
restricts this power shall be null and void.
2/ Where the editor-in-chief of a mass media does not, for any reason, have full legal
capacity, another editor- in-chief who has full legal capacity shall be appointed .
3/ The editor-in-chief who has been appointed in
accordance with sub article (2) of this Article, shall have legal responsibility for the content
of the mass media outlet and shall, notwithstanding the provisions of sub article
(1) of this Article, have the power to veto the publication of any material.
7. Mass Media Ownership
1/ Any person who exercises direct or indirect effective control over a company possessing
a nation- wide broadcasting license or a broadcasting license for an area with a recorded
population of more than 100,000 inhabitants, may not exercise direct or indirect effective
control over another company holding such a license and servicing the same or an
overlapping market.
2/ Any person who exercises direct or indirect effective control over a company holding a
nation- wide license or a license for an area with a recorded population of more than
100,000 inhabitants may not exercise direct or indirect effective control over a company
operating a periodical servicing the same or an overlapping market
3/ Without prejudice to sub article (1) and (2) at this Article any person who exercises
effective direct or indirect control over a company operating a periodical may not exercise
effective direct or indirect control over another company running a periodical published in
the same language and servicing the same or an overlapping market