Addis Abeba – An online media news outlet, Ethiopian Insider, managed under Haq Media and Communication, fell victim to a robbery last night. Haq Media and Communication issued a statement today, suggesting that the theft may be related to the significant pressure the media outlet has been facing due to daily reports. The robbers managed to steal valuable newsroom equipment, including three new digital cameras, two zoom lenses, four standard lenses, four laptops, and a smartphone, from Ethiopian Insider’s headquarters in the Bole Medhanialem area.
The statement provided details of the incident, explaining that Ethiopian Insider staff members had worked until 4:00 p.m. the previous day and securely locked the premises before leaving. However, when the staff arrived early this morning, they discovered that an unknown perpetrator had forcefully broken into the premises and stolen the valuable assets designated for the newsroom.
Tesfalem Waldyes, the founder and editor-in-chief of Ethiopian Insider, stated that the company, established three years ago, had been expanding its content to include video news production. Unfortunately, this recent robbery incident has had a negative impact on their daily news production. Tesfalem mentioned that accurately assessing the worth of the stolen items is challenging, but pointed out that certain assets, such as video lenses, had been acquired less than a month ago. “For a small media company like us, the loss is substantial,” he told Addis Standard.
Ethiopian Insider has reported the incident to the Bole Sub-City police station, where some staff members have provided statements. Tesfalem stated that Haq Media and Communication will closely monitor the police investigation and provide updates regarding any outcomes. AS
