Amare Aregawi, a seasoned journalist who founded and served as the general manager of the Media and Communications Center, has been honored for his distinguished career spanning four decades.
Aregawi, the founder of The Reporter publications, was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Kibir Award, which recognizes writers and journalists in various categories.
“Amare Aregawi is an iconic figure in the Ethiopian media landscape,” said the Kibir Award organizers. “His unwavering dedication to journalism and his commitment to shaping the discourse in the country over the past four decades are truly commendable.”
Amare, an Ethiopian journalist, founded the Media & Communications Center, which publishes The Reporter, a prominent Amharic and English newspaper headquartered in Addis Ababa. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of the bilingual newspaper and co-owns the TV network ARTS TV.
Prior to his current roles, Amare was in charge of Ethiopia’s public television network, EBC (formerly ETV), following the fall of the Derg dictatorship in 1991.
Amare’s illustrious career has not been without its challenges. In 2008, he was arrested in connection with an article about labor practices that criticized Dashen Brewery, a local beer brand. The brewery filed a defamation suit against the newspaper, leading to Aregawi’s arrest on August 22, 2008. He was released on bail shortly thereafter.
Shortly after his arrest, and following a series of editorials criticizing the business community, Amare was assaulted and left unconscious following a parent-teacher meeting at his son’s school. The International Press Institute connected the attack to his reporting and called on the government to “do everything in their power to ensure that Ethiopian journalists are free to carry out their profession without fear of attack.”
Despite the obstacles he has faced, Amare has remained a steadfast champion of independent journalism and has continued to shape the media landscape in Ethiopia. His lifetime achievement award is a testament to his unwavering commitment to the profession and his significant contributions to the country’s media industry.
