ETHIO 360 MEDIA IS A HATE AND DISINFORMATION CHANNEL
From its formation in 2019 as a splinter group from ESATtv, it has been public knowledge that ETHIO 360 MEDIA is a propaganda channel well identified with the narrow interests of one ethnic group in Ethiopia. Individuals on this channel promote the most anachronistic views of one group that wielded power over the oppressed nations, nationalities, and peoples of Ethiopia.
At best ETHIO 360 MEDIA’s views represent huge disrespect and disservice to the nations and peoples of Ethiopia who aspire to chart out their future by building democracy within the federal framework which is in its infancy. Democracy has been very fragile in Ethiopia, and it can be said that the experiment, in name only, came into existence only as recent as the early 1990s. The current turmoil of civil war and liberation movements ravaging the Ethiopian empire is a true testament to the country that is devoid of democracy and basic human rights.
Ethiopia is still dominated by the political, cultural, and religious dogma of the old empire that made its root in the late 19th century. That dogma represents the core interest of one ethnic group in a country that comprises over 80 nations, nationalities, and peoples.
ETHIO 360 MEDIA is one of the megaphones and purveyors of that dogma on YouTube.
The Internet Age has empowered humanity to express their views with minimal barriers, by using multimedia postings as well as direct digital streaming like YouTube. Examples abound where the Internet has played a vital role in the freedom of individuals, groups, peoples and even countries. At this instant in time, there are perhaps thousands of multimedia postings being shared with sole purpose of exposing the injustices that are unfolding at the dark corners of our world.
There is no doubt that the same digital media that can empower and liberate people can also be used as an instrument for negative forces. This is why social media companies have strict policies in place for terms and conditions of using their media platforms.
Opinion and Commentary channels, like ETHIO 360 MEDIA, have a huge responsibility in our digital media age. Unlike factual reporting, as in journalism, opinions can be subjective and often convey cultural, political, religious, and racial biases as well as insensitivities. Even for what appears to be reporting of real events (as ETHIO 360 MEDIA Daily News) ETHIO 360 MEDIA’s contribution in this regard at best is selective. At worst, real incidents are often distorted and blended with self-serving commentaries and put out as disinformation propaganda intended to incite civil unrest, and in all cases to promote the interests of one ethnic group.
Having opposing views within the norms of civility is healthy. Even extreme left and extreme right views are healthy so long as people refrain from hate, disinformation, and other unacceptable and illegal behaviours.
The hate and disinformation of ETHIO 360 MEDIA over the last two days can be described as too troubling indeed, and it is what instigated this complaint. The streaming in question, now available as YouTube recordings, are under two titles as summarized below with their links.
- “አፓርታይድ በአዲስ አበባ (APARTHEID IN ADDIS ABABA)”, streamed on September 30, media play time 1:24:44. [ https://youtu.be/K9wCqgdI2G4 ]
- “የኢሬቻ አከባበር እና ፖለቲካ (Irreechaa Celebration and Politics)”, streamed on October 1, media play time 1:42:03. [ https://youtu.be/1aT4DvBesOk ]
The hate and disinformation are directed at the Oromo Irreechaa festival as well as the people that celebrate this great festival. Celebrations are now underway from Saturday, October 1 (in the capital city, Addis Ababa aka Finfinnee) and Sunday, October 2 (in Bishoftu town, 40 km south of the capital).
It is worth mentioning that Irreechaa is an Oromo Thanksgiving cultural festival and recognized worldwide as one of the festivals attracting crowds in the millions; over 7 million people attended in pre COVID in 2019 in the capital city). As the thanksgiving festival (it signifies leaving behind harsh winter and welcoming bright spring) Irreechaa symbolizes social cohesion, peace, and harmony, not only among communities and nations but also with nature.
As reported in the wider media, the current Irreechaa festival has already received congratulatory messages from major democracies including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. (https://www.fanabc.com/english/embassies-of-various-countries-extend-best-wishes-to-ethiopians-on-celebration-of-irreechaa/).
Celebrants of the festival include Oromo communities from neighbouring countries like Kenya. The group travels to celebration places with fleets of buses coupled with intervening welcoming receptions along the route also stand out as pre-celebration events of interest in their own right.
Irreechaa is also celebrated by Oromo diaspora communities worldwide, from North America to Europe and Australasia. With Oromo cultural costumes and colors on display, the festival is increasingly attracting natives of diaspora communities to partake with the joyous cultural activities that include traditional dances. This, in fact, makes Oromo Irreechaa a truly international festival.
As grandiose Oromo Irreechaa is, notably as an internationally recognized symbol of peace—why are the ETHIO 360 MEDIA people peddling the hate and disinformation propaganda against the festival and the people who celebrate it?
We would like you to answer the why question for yourself by watching the above YouTube titles. Below, we only mention the hate and disinformation that ETHIO 360 MEDIA are putting out. If, you, like us, are also troubled by what ETHIO 360 MEDIA are engaging in, please join us with this campaign, by reporting to YouTube to close down this channel and make a stop to this hate and disinformation megaphone.
With regard to the first title, “አፓርታይድ በአዲስ አበባ (APARTHEID IN ADDIS ABABA)”, Mr Habtamu Ayalew and Mr Ermiyas Legessie, moderated by Ms Iyerusalem Tekletsadik, were all at pains to characterize the eve of Irreechaa festival as Apartheid taking hold in the capital city as the streaming title chosen for the content confirms. What was remarkable about the capital city on the eve of Irreechaa festival was that most of the public places and squares were decorated with Oromo colors of Black-Red-White stripe. Insignificant as the opinions and vitriols of these individuals might appear, it is important to understand what really motivates these individuals to engage in such hateful propaganda.
To those unacquainted with the century-old complex socio-politics of Ethiopia, it may be hard to comprehend why people at ETHIO 360 MEDIA are close to a heart attack with anger at the celebration of Irreechaa. To the contrary, they could have as well joined the fun of the festival naturally comes to a rational mind.
The fact of the matter is that ETHIO 360 MEDIA is one of the many media groups with concerted actions to maintain the century-old political, cultural, and religious system of Ethiopia. They view any new socio-political change as a threat to them, rather than as social good for others who cherish it. They stop at nothing to impede developments of any sort without their culture taking a center stage. Oromo Irreechaa is one such example that is regarded by ETHIO 360 MEDIA as being a festival not so compatible with the century-old culture imposed by one minority ethnic group.
On the eve of the Irreechaa festival, they describe the capital city bustling with early preparations as resembling an Egyptian city and with the word Apartheid thrown in. They are as uninformed in failing to realize that the Black-Red-White Oromo tricolour stripe is quite distinct from the Egyptian Red-White-Black stripe.
We all know how the evil Apartheid, as institutionalized racial segregation, had brutalized humanity in their millions in South Africa. Reducing the usage of the term Apartheid to the event where the traditional Oromo flags and colors were being displayed at some public places as well as celebrants waving the same, is clearly a desperate move by ETHIO 360 MEDIA. They are using the hate they crafted around the celebration they disapprove for radicalizing their ethnically biased followers and worse still to miseducate the impressionable youths that use ETHIO 360 MEDIA as their source of information. This is irresponsible and very sad at different levels.
In the second title of “የኢሬቻ አከባበር እና ፖለቲካ (Irreechaa Celebration and Politics)”, Mr Habtamu Ayalew and Mr Moges Zewudu go on the disinformation spree by characterizing Irreechaa as a “primitive religion” of sort that followers of modern religions should boycott. Again, while the opinions of these angry individuals should have no effect on the grand Irreechaa festival, the issue we need to highlight is the hate and disinformation motives surrounding this festival. While TV screens and social media are dazzled by the colorful festivities and cultural attires, it was amazing to watch a dreary video obtained by ETHIO 360 MEDIA to give it that primitive appearance with a few people apparently worshipping a tree. What a choice of an unrepresentative sample to fit into ETHIO 360 MEDIA’s own narrative with religious disinformation!
There are numerous other hateful disinformation campaigns that ETHIO 360 MEDIA have been engaging in. One such area is in connection with on-going conflicts in Ethiopia. In the interest of brevity and focus for this complaint, we chose not to include other matters that are as too troubling. We consider that the evidence we have provided with regard to the Oromo Irreechaa festival is more than sufficient to prove that ETHIO 360 MEDIA are in gross violation of using the YouTube channel.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you have not yet formed your opinion with the subject matter of this complaint, please take your time to watch the two video titles described above.
If you decide to report ETHIO 360 MEDIA as being engaged in hate and disinformation campaigns, then head to YouTube and search for ETHIO 360 MEDIA to locate its home page.
If you can do it right now, tap on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvr6jA3WYOhXFUD2LKpqhQw.
Otherwise, once you locate any YouTube content by ETHIO 360 MEDIA, tap on the company logo (usually in-line with the Subscribe button) to get to its home page.
From ETHIO 360 MEDIA home page:
- On Mobile, look for 3-vertical dots to top far right, and tap on it to reveal menu commands.
Choose the ‘Report User’ command.
- On Desktop look for the About tab to the right of the page. Tapping on the About tab you’ll see a small flag icon which you can tap to reveal menu commands.
Choose the ‘Report User’ command.
The choices given for reporting have no fine granularity, so we choose the closest to our complaint from seven or so choices available. Choose the 6th item from top (or 3rd from bottom) which is
“Hate speech against a protected group”
Tap on the NEXT button to choose the videos for the complaint. Choose the two videos mentioned in here by ticking the checkbox to the left of each video.
Again, tap on NEXT button and you will be presented with a textbox to provide additional information. In the textbox, please put summary info as you see fit. The following text may provide some guidance. With your additional info, please include the link provided below.
The complaint concerns the hate and disinformation campaign by ETHIO 360 MEDIA against the Oromo Irreechaa (Thanksgiving) festival and the people who celebrate the festival.
Full details of the complaint is posted at:
https://tumsahaqaoromoo.com/public-relations/youtube-ethio360/
DON’T STOP AT THIS!
Please share with as many friends as you can and encourage them to act.
Ethio 360 has been creating ethinc cleaning between all Ethiopian Tribe since 2019 please it’s time to stop them please stop them right now