Nightmare at Deutsche Welle

I
became a keen listener to Deutsche Welle Amharic
Service when I was a teenager. It may be due to this fact that I was very
excited to eventually get a chance to work for this reputable broadcaster. Some
people may wonder why I have then decided to tell about my terrible experience
at Deutsche Welle Amharic Service and the problems it
is facing as a result of serious mismanagement and systematic censorship. The
simple reason is that there is a silent crisis that has been undermining and
crippling the service.

The
personal and family crisis that I faced because of working at Deutsche Welle Amharic was only part of the problem within the
Amharic desk. I may say that it is just the tip of the iceberg. But I realize
the fact that I cannot speak on behalf of others. However, I can loudly and
clearly speak for myself.

At
any organization or institution, management can lead to success or failure. I
can say honestly that the Amharic section of Deutsche Welle,
which is trusted and respected by millions of Ethiopians, is performing below
its standard and potential. As I have declared my freedom and decided to leave
than beg for mercy from Ludger Schadomsky,
the head and editor-in-chief of DW Amharic, I can speak without any fear of
reprisal.

 When Shadomsky
decided to hire me, he did not do me any favor. I am a skilled and confident
broadcaster. Nonetheless, I was made to beg for a decent pay and working
condition because he frequently breached the contract I signed. I could not
survive, let alone support my family. Yes, I will sue for all that the
unnecessary ordeals that I had to go through, but the truth should be told.

For
me going all the way to Germany was not a big deal. I went to Bonn to work for
Deutsche Welle. It was never a favor and I never saw
it that way.

It
is hard to challenge Schadomsky because he cares
little about others. Besides, there are also a couple of people who enjoy echoing
whatever he says even if they know that it is wrong. As a result of his style
of authoritarian management, it is in fact risky to openly raise concerns and
challenge his sometimes  questionable decisions. Whatever
the risk, I have challenged him repeatedly but to no avails. 

For
an aspiring young Ethiopian journalist and broadcaster, landing a job at
Germany’s premier international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle,
was a dream come true. It was a very exhilarating
experience. The excitement was soon to die and replaced by an  experience of hardship. As a
result, I was practically forced to flee from my “dream job” as a
broadcaster, editor and producer.

Believe
it or not, I was forced to live in abject poverty in Germany, and experience
that has shattered my dreams and complicated my personal and family life. In
addition, I was not happy at the lack of freedom as a broadcaster. This may
seem stranger than fiction, but it is true.

A
long journey

I
started listening to the Amharic services of the Voice of America and Deutsche Welle when I was around twelve years old. Both stations
that are widely popular in Ethiopia were mainly responsible for kindling my
passion for journalism. Because of my love for the two big broadcasters, it was
always my dream to work for either VOA or Deutsche Welle.

I
was certain that serving my people as a journalist is calling. My passion and
love for broadcast journalism has practically defined my life’s journey. When
I was a student at Awassa Tabor Secondary School, I
was one of the most active members of the school’s mini-media club.
During break hours, I and my circle of friends used to broadcast variety shows,
school messages and poems
using a megaphone hoisted high on a pole.

Born
in Awassa town in 1978, I came from a humble background.
Though my parents were not enthused with my idea of pursuing a destabilizing
career in journalism in a country like Ethiopia where telling the truth is
considered an act of treason by the rulers, I was determined to become a
journalist at any cost.

Upon
graduation from Debub University, I headed to Addis
Ababa in 2001 in pursuit of my dream. I knocked on the doors of a few media
organizations. Due to lack of networks, my efforts did not bear any fruits. The
only job I could get was a teaching position at a private school. Even though I
did not have a passion for teaching, it was good as a survival job. While working as a teacher, I
started volunteering and freelancing as a broadcaster and columnist.  

In
2003, I saw a job advert for a position of an interpreter with Ethiopia’s
peacekeeping mission to Brundi under United Nations
and Africa Union mandate. I was one of the 18 interpreters selected for the
one-year long challenge. I signed a contract for a salary of around $1440 per
month. My expectation of getting an invaluable and enriching life experience
and witnessing the impact of ethnic division was my priority.

I
will soon recount another story on my encounter with peacekeeping, corruption
and malfeasance that implicates the high echelon of the defense ministry
including Army General Samora Yunis,
the Chief of Staff of the defense forces of the regime It
is a story that must be told.

I
returned from my expedition to Brundi empty-handed
and disappointed. In spite of the disappointment, I was comforted with a job I
got at a new station, Radio Voice of South F.M.100.9 as a broadcaster in 2004.
After working for a few months as a reporter, editor and host, I started a
show, YeAfrica Tensea
(African Renaissance). My colleagues and I wanted to make the show much more
focused on Ethiopian issues. With that in mind, we launched YeEthiopia
Tensea (Ethiopian Renaissance). YeEthiopia
Tensae was unique as it allowed the public direct
participation. The show made efforts to raise awareness on the unique historical
heritage of Ethiopia, the diversity of its culture and the oneness of its
people. But the popularity of the show, which conflicted with the ruling
party’s divide-and-rule policy, turned out to be its worst enemy.

During
the Ethiopian millennium, marked in September 2002, we requested the public to
name Ethiopians of the millennium in different categories. Some of the
personalities overwhelmingly selected by listeners raised the eye-brows of the
ruling party. It was without the full approval of my bosses that I announced on
air that that Emperor Menelik, Dr.Berhanu
Nega and the late NASA scientist Kitaw
Ejigu, were among those chosen as Ethiopians of the
millennium. It irked the cadres running the radio station to see leaders like
Emperor Menelik was chosen as great Ethiopians. A few
days later, the regional government intervened and ordered us to abruptly
sign-off the show until further notice. This was not unexpected as intolerance
to the free flow of ideas is the hallmark of the regime.  

After
intense pressure by the ruling party operatives, I left Radio South FM. Then I
tried to get a license to start a newspaper in Awassa.
My application was rejected. When that failed, I started a small promotion and
documentary business under
my sister’s name. I was doing promotion work for nonprofit
organizations and local businesses when I listened to a position announcement
on Deutsche Welle. The German broadcaster was looking
for a correspondent to report from Southern Ethiopia. I applied for the
exciting job vacancy. I felt certain that I was ideally suited for this
position.

A
boss in Germany

In
late September 2008, I got an email from Mr. Ludger Schadomsky, the head of Deutsche Welle
Amharic. He requested me to send samples of my work. He also emailed me saying
that he was waiting for the Ethiopian government “to fill the void left
behind by the untimely death of our colleague Tsegaye
Endeshaw.”

Satisfied
with my caliber, samples of my work and experience, Schadomsky
updated me in December 2008 that Deutsche Welle was
still waiting for clearance and permit from Bereket
Simon, Minister of Government Affairs Communication.

Months
passed by, but the security clearance and the stringer permit
were not approved. In mid-June 2009, Schadomsky
requested me to stay patiently and “hang in there” but he was
evidently frustrated with the red-tape.

Less
than a year into our married life, I and my wife were blessed with a baby boy
in June 2009.  I shared my joy to my
prospective boss who was clearly eager to employ me as Deutche
Welle’s correspondent in Southern Ethiopia.

In
early 2010, it became apparent that the exciting position would not materialize
due to the regime’s reluctance to issue the required security clearance
and license for me. After the disputed 2005 elections and the ensuing
crackdowns, the government had already made a decision to have a much tighter
control over information inflows and outflows. In addition to that, my radio
show had already put me on a blacklist despite the fact that it was a show that
made efforts to give voice to ordinary people.

Schadomsky came up with a couple of options that
revived my hopes. He emailed me: “If the post as correspondent from Awassa doesn’t work out, I want to go ahead anyway
and use you as an anonymous source of information who will give us information
on any hot issue in your area and provide us with the telephone numbers of the
people involved (police commissioner, kebele head
etc.) so we can do follow-ups from here. I have a small budget to pay you a fee
for any tips you provide and we use. You will NOT be on air, no names mentioned
and no risk.” 

I
knew full well that this was risky anyway. If the officials found out, I could
be faced with 
serious charges for working for a foreign agency without permit.
I was already under scrutiny after my fallout out with regional officials while
working for RVS. Nonetheless, I accepted the offer.

Another
exciting proposal Schadomsky put forward to me was an
offer for a paid internship at the Bonn-based headquarters of Deutsche Welle. In early February 2010, I travelled to Addis Ababa
to apply for an entry visa at the German Embassy. Armed with the offer letter
for an internship at Deutsche Welle, I secured a visa
within a few days.

It
was a big dilemma for my wife. On the one hand, she was happy for me as I was
destined to become part of an influential radio station, which is listened to
by millions of Ethiopians daily. She knew that my voice would reach millions of
ears daily from a distance. It must certainly be an enviable job.

On
the other hand, living alone with a baby without a father figure was
unthinkable to her. That was not her dream for her boy. I assured her that I
would make every effort to make sure that they join me in Bonn.

Eventually,
it was time for me to say goodbye to friends and family members. My farewell
party was memorable. Everyone wished me the best of luck in Germany. My friends
were inspired by my success. Some even wanted to follow my footsteps.

In March 2010, I proudly presented myself at
Deutsche Welle’s Amharic desk. My new boss, Schadomsky, was welcoming. My colleagues were supportive
and hospitable. Interested in human rights, democracy and justice, I produced a
number of programs and lively discusions on many
sensitive issues. Even Schadomky acknowledged my
impressive performance. In a recent email he sent me, he wrote, “I must
say that I do appreciate your quick and political mind a lot, you have brought
a lot of political clout to this department.”

Despite
the fact that I was offered an internship, with a modest monthly stipend, I was
working as a full-timeemployee. I was happy about
that. Due to my experience and passion for my job, it took me just a week to
work in par with experienced Deutsche Welle
broadcasters.

Though
I felt lonely and homesick, the worst problem for me did not emerge until I
finished my six-month internship. In September 2010, Ludger offered me a
freelance contract that guaranteed me to work at least three shifts a week,
which would be enough to survive on tighter budget. But the contract was just
on paper. Within a few weeks, Schadomsky started to
cut my weekly shift to one or two. My earning was drastically reduced even
lower than the internship stipend I used to get. I found it extremely hard to
survive on earning in the range between 700 to 800 Euros per month. My work
permit is restricted to only working at Deutsche Welle.  I told Schadomsky
repeatedly that I was facing severe hardship and could not survive on the
paltry wage in an expensive city like Bonn. But my pleas did not move my boss.
He cared little about the hardship my family and I were facing.

Censorship
and mismanagement

There
was, however, one serious problem I began to notice. Appointed in 2006,
Deutsche Welle Amharic chief, Ludger
Schadomsky, is not only arbitrary but also dubious in
the way he manages the section. He enjoys being feared and putting people at
his mercy. And yet, he makes employees, especially those with a freelance
contract, feel that he was doing them a favor.

Schadomsky never speaks Amharic despite the fact
that he is practically the head and editor-in-chief of the Amharic desk. It is
basically very unusual to have an editor-in-chief that is not even interested
in the language he edits and the broadcasts he manages in a foreign language.
But he actively monitors and at times censors content with the help of a couple
of people.  

From
outside, DW Amharic may seem to be an independent free broadcaster. That is not
the case. There is routine censorship. Sharper comments are deliberately cut
out. Every time Bereket Simon complains or gives a
“list of names”, as Schadomsky said in
email, the tendency to “tone down” dissident voices becomes too
evident. It is an open secret that the Ethiopian government jams Deutsche Welle. But the internal jamming in the name of toning down
dissident views at the expense of coverage and discussion on human rights,
democracy, rule of law and equality has seriously weakened the station’s
relevance to Ethiopia. Some of the programs are known to be unpopular. Schadomsky also encourages repeating broadcasts than
encouraging to do creative and lively programs.

As
Schadomsky repeatedly claims, there may be budgetary
constraint. But it is not an excuse to put people at one’s mercy and
compromise the quality, relevance and independence of Deutsche Welle Amharic. I believe that mismanagement and abuse of
power is only symptomatic of a serious weakness that is more harmful to a
reputable organization like Deutsche Welle than
individual victims. After all, Deutsche Welle is a
global broadcaster that needs to keep its reputation, standard and integrity at
all times.    

 (Translated and edited by Abebe Gellaw)