Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information Proclamation No. 590/2008.

The Proclamation recognizes that freedom of the mass media is constitutionally guaranteed. Censorship in any form is prohibited. Moreover, every Ethiopian national has the right to establish a mass media and journalists have a right to organize themselves into professional associations of their choice. Part 2 regulates the right to engage in mass media activities, and provides for certificate of registration, mass media ownership and role of distributors. Part 4 concerns rights and responsibilities of the Media,
Part 3 seeks to achieve the following objectives: 1) to give effect to the right of citizens to access, receive and import information held by public bodies, subject to justifiable limits based on overriding public and private interests; 2) to establish mechanisms and procedures to give effect to that right in a manner which enables persons to obtain information as quickly, inexpensively and effortlessly as is reasonably possible; and 3) to encourage and promote public participation, public empowerment , to foster a culture of transparecy, accountablity and effecincy in the functions of public bodies and to encourage and promote good governance.
Firstly the Proclamation establishes that all persons have the right to seek, obtain and communicate any information held by public bodies, except as expressly provided for by this Proclamation. Moreover establishes a duty on any public body to publish information concerning: its organizational structure, main duties and responsibilities; the power and responsibilities of the officials as well as decision-making procedures; description of the services it provides for the public; complaint hearing mechanism available; type of the records under its possession; description of its regulations, directives, policies, guidelines and manuals, which govern the operation and activities of its various organs, and of the employees of the organization; the name and address of the public relation officer; and other particulars. Regulation 14 provides details on requests to obtain information. Regulations 16 and 18 concern information on third party, how to obtain and confidentiality measures.