The spread of disinformation in Ethiopia has become a major concern, fueled by gaps in reliable and timely information from government offices. This research aimed to assess the responsiveness of government offices in Ethiopia and examine its implications for countering disinformation. A mixed methods approach combined a survey of 15 journalists, expert interviews, and a review of government office communication practices.
The findings revealed limited responsiveness by government offices, including reluctance to provide information to media, lack of timely briefings, favoritism toward state-affiliated media, and absence of robust communication infrastructure. This information gap enables the proliferation of disinformation when reliable data is scarce.
The study recommends improving government communication through centralized data systems, enhanced social media engagement, regular press briefings, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Greater government transparency and open
communication are essential to curbing disinformation. Further research could explore causes of limited responsiveness and engage government office perspectives. This study concludes that government responsiveness in providing accurate information is
critical to countering disinformation in Ethiopia. Read the full research paper here