The above remark was made by Shakespear Feyissa, a prominent Ethiopian American lawyer based in Seattle now working as chief coordinator of preparations toward the Ethiomedia Festival Day.

“Every Ethiopian who scans the Internet is certainly associated with Ethiomedia, and most Ethiopians rate Ethiomedia as a dependable and powerful media that reached every home during the political turmoil in the run-up to and aftermath of the May 2005 elections,” Shakespear said.

“In an age when the media in Ethiopia is monopolized by the ruling party, when the entire journalists of the independent press are either in jail, or in exile, we cannot afford than supporting the remaining independent media that have excelled in their performances.”

The attorney, who came to prominence after successfully forced the Meles Zenawi regime to drop his accusations against Radio Tensae journalists and a few other Ethiopians on grounds of defamation, said guest speakers include one of our times’ prolific writers and commentators like Fekade Shewakena.

Ethiomedia Day would be a little different as such that it would be more of a festival when artists and musicians get time to add pomp and color to an Ethiopian event planned to be more of a get-together than a real political meeting.

“It would be an understatement if I say Ethiomedia has played a unifying role of Ethiopians by steadfastly standing as a powerful voice,” Shakespear said. “It is in recognition of its outstanding performance that Seattle residents awarded to the media a special prize in October last year. “This time, we honor Ethiomedia by organizing various programs on August 13.”

Speaking on his part, Amlaku Assefa, one of our Ethiomedia Program coordinators also remarked, “I’ve a brother in Virginia. When we talk about news reports concerning Ethiopia, and when we have some controversies, his first remark is: “If you don’t see it on Ethiomedia, don’t buy it!”

Quietly, Ethiomedia has evolved as a force in its own class. Given all the swift political developments that took place in Ethiopia, one can imagine how confusing it would have been had we not had our own independent media organizations in the likes of Ethiomedia.com, Amlaku said.

Amlaku Assefa, an Ethiomedia program coordinator

Tell them about celebrating Ethiomedia Day, and they are all smiles.” – Wagaye, one of the most active Ethiomedia Day program coordinators

A couple of years back, Ethiomedia was competing for leadership against the government-owned WaltaInfo.com. Given that Walta has a government budget and a staff numbering about 150 employees throughout Ethiopia, it was unthinkable that Ethiomedia would beat the huge organization called Walta. Today, there is actually no comparison between the popular Ethiomedia website and Walta, which is largely forgotten by the public, which found the alternative news soruces like Ethiomedia people-centered, authentic and up-to-date as well.

Ethiomedia in retrospect: 23 October 2005

SEATTLE, Washington – Ethiopian residents of the City of Seattle honored Ethiomedia.com October 23 with the 2005 Best Website Award for an “outstanding performance on Ethiopian news and views.”

Ethiopian historian Dr. Alula Abate presented a certificate of outstanding peformance and financial reward to Abraha Belai, founding editor of Ethiomedia during a dinner party at Ibex Restaurant. The ceremony was attended by Ethiopians from the academic, professional and business communities of the City of Seattle.

Ethiomedia is phenomenal. Hardly a day goes by without visiting Ethiomedia,” Robel Estifanos from ECA TV in Seattle

“Any story that appears on Ethiomedia is taken forgranted as an authentic report. This shows the public trust in Ethiomedia. For Ethiopians in Seattle, of course Ethiomedia is a hometown media: very close to every Ethiopian!” Teferi, one of the program coordinators of Ethiomedia Day.

“Ethiomedia has evolved as a powerful medium of news and information, and it is with great pleasure that we recognize the outstanding performance Ethiomedia has displayed in the last few years,” Dr Alula said. “Ethiomedia occupies an important part in the evolution of a network of media and communications connecting the Ethiopian diaspora with the homeland.”

Ethiomedia chief editor Abraha Belai on his part said it was an honor for him to speak on behalf of his Ethiopian friends who have been assiting Ethiomedia as it struggled in a modest way to challenge the ongoing misinformation and propaganda work being hotly pursued by a group organized in the form of a government in Ethiopia. If it were not for the all-round support Ethiomedia receives from our friends in Seattle, San Jose, Washington, DC, Atlanta, New York, Tonronto, London, Jerusalem, Oslo, Melbourne, and from many other cities around the world, Ethiomedia wouldn’t have been what it is today,” the editor said.

Abraha, who, among others, was senior editor of The Ethiopian Herland, editor of Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce’s English-language journal, program producer and broadcaster of External Service of Radio Ethiopia, deputy editor-in-chief of Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) until he left Ethiopia on a private journalism fellowship for United States in 1995, briefed the audience on challenges Ethiopian journalists face in hostage-held Ethiopia.

“My friends and I’m are humbled by the huge support and compassion our fellow Ethiopians show for those of us at Ethiomedia, and I thank you very much for that,” he said, adding “the enthusiastic support from fellow Ethiopians would keep Ethiomedia strong and vibrant.”