In December 2022, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their third annual Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals from 31 countries. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

Samuel Abate Woldetsadik has long dreamed of having his own media company, and in March 2022, he made that dream come true.

That’s when he launched Ethio Negari, a digital media news service available online and through social media platforms. At the same time, he continues working as a freelance journalist at AI-AIN news in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he has produced investigative news stories, empowered voiceless individuals, communities, and groups, and also mentored fresh graduates who joined the organisation.

“Having my own media company was my dream and I … look forward to contributing more to the journalism profession,” Woldetsadik said.

As he moves through his career, Woldetsadik said he wants to address the problem of media literacy in Ethiopia: “There are so many perspectives and people that need to be addressed. I believe that there are plenty of issues to be investigated in Ethiopia and skills in this profession are a crucial matter. I want to focus on building a multicultural working environment and contribute better options to the public and get more audience trust.”

He also is excited to build an innovative, forward-thinking media organisation and learn about best practices from other companies around the world. “Our world is a digital era, so I want to know more about how to have the skills on to build an innovative newsroom,” he said.

Part of building that kind of company is creating inclusive content for all readers and learning how to earn the audience’s trust. His vision is to create a strong and trustworthy organisation that is built for the future.

“I want to focus on inclusive news media and contribute better options to the public,” Woldetsadik said.

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