We regret to inform you that Addis Standard is unable to provide the election day field reporting coverage we had prepared and intended to deliver.

Response to our readers requesting election day reporting from Addis Standard

Source: Addis Standard

June 1, 2026

To our readers,

We regret to inform you that Addis Standard is unable to provide the election day field reporting coverage we had prepared and intended to deliver.

This follows the unjustified measure taken against Addis Standard by the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) through the announcement of the “revocation” of our registration certificate. As a direct consequence, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) declined to issue accreditation badges to the ten journalists and two camera crew members whose names we formally submitted in compliance with the Board’s accreditation requirements.

This outcome is not an isolated administrative decision. Rather, it reflects a broader and sustained pattern of institutional actions that have systematically constrained and disabled our work, including at a time when our newsroom was finalizing preparations for a special election coverage plan in March 2026.

Addis Standard has consistently invested in independent, field-based journalism to ensure the public receives timely and credible reporting during defining national moments.

During the 2021 national election, our newsroom deployed seven journalists across multiple locations in four regional states to provide live, on-the-ground reporting and bring diverse realities of the electoral process to our audiences. The accompanying photographs document that commitment.

We had hoped to do more this year through a portal exclusively dedicated for the election.

Despite these setbacks, our commitment to independent journalism and to serving our readers remains unchanged. We remain grateful for your continued support, trust, and messages of solidarity.

Addis Standard Newsroom