“We realise that the government too has its own responsibility in establishing favourable conditions for the development of the media,”
H.E. Bereket Simeon, Minister of Information, comments in an address to the programme’s participants.

“We are working towards building the capacity of public relations officers so as to facilitate a smooth flow and exchange of information.”
The Minister of Information also stated that the efforts of the British Council and British Embassy are remarkable efforts that should be commended.

“I feel like this conjoined training came at a necessary time and urgency.”

What is this project about?
This programme was designed to explore the responsible management of public information in a democratic society. While governments need media coverage to carry their message to the public, the credibility of the media depends on independence from government. So it is critical that both sides carefully manage this relationship.

The remit of this project was, therefore, to encourage government officials to develop effective strategies for long-term positive relations with the media and to inform journalists and editors about the conditions under which government press officers operate, with a view to improving relations between all parties.

The programme has offered participants the opportunity to explore these issues with experienced professionals from the UK - Professor Donald Trelford, former editor of The Observer, and Jonathan Fryer, freelance journalist and broadcaster, mainly for the BBC.

In the Ethiopian context, this was quite innovatory, at a time when the country is making a profound transition towards a more open and democratic society, in which access to information is increasingly recognised as a basic human right, rather than the privilege of a powerful elite.

Who is it for?
The recent emergence of a diverse press has presented new challenges to the traditional relationships between ministers, officials, the private and public media and the public, helping generate a concern within the government that relevant professional skills among PR officers, journalists and editors should be developed.

Who was involved?
Ministry of Information and British Embassy.

For more details, please contact:
Telephone: +251 (0)11 155 0022
Fax: +251 (0)11 155 2544
E-mail: information@et.britishcouncil.org