Walta, officially known as Walta Media and Communication Corporate S.C. (WMCC), and previously known as Walta Information Center, operates out of Addis Ababa. Founded in 1994, it supplies news content to Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) and other local media. The company runs a news portal with content in English, Amharic, and Arabic, and a television station, Walta TV, mostly focused on social and political news in Amharic.
Media assets
Television: Walta TV
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Walta Media and Communication Corporate S.C. is run by a board of directors and led by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Walta Media is owned by the government of Ethiopia.
Source of funding and budget
Walta Media and Communication Corporate S.C. is funded by the government of Ethiopia indirectly through the ruling party, the Prosperity Party, which was established in December 2019 as a successor to the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), according to local journalists interviewed for this report in May 2023. In 2023, the company had a total income of ETB 434m, according to internal corporate documents consulted for this report.
Editorial independence
According to information from the publisher, Walta specializes in disseminating news and providing public relations services. Walta’s editorial coverage is blatantly favorable to the government.
No statue and no independent assessment mechanism to validate the editorial independence of Walta news outlets have been identified.
June 2024