It was 80 years ago from today, in 1943, that The Ethiopian Herald Newspaper was launched to provide national and international information for Ethiopian intellectuals and foreign readers, mainly focusing on the internal and international affairs of the country, and its relations with member countries of the UN.
The Newspaper was the first newspaper published on a weekly basis in English language in the country, and until 1944, it was run by an Englishman editor named Jan Hoy Simpson. And later, as studies indicate, it was managed by David A Talbot, an African-American Editor in Chief, from 1945 to 1960. At the end of 1958, The Ethiopian Herald Newspaper became a newspaper published on a daily basis, except Monday.
Since its announcement, the Newspaper, being a source of information for Ethiopian intellectuals and the foreign community, has been covering and issuing various matters and serving as a platform to reinforcing, nation’s diplomacy at the international arena. Currently, it is serving the public as well as the international community being a pioneer English Newspaper entertaining the social, economic, political issues of the country and promoting its cultural values.
However, this was not achieved simply; but through the commitment and keenness of passionate journalists who took part and played a role in the history of the Newspaper. Among these journalists, Yacob Wolde Mariam who worked as the first Ethiopian Editor-in-Chief of The Ethiopian Herald is the one. As he once stated to Addis Zemen daily Newspaper, his passion to be a journalist has forced him to abandon the scholarship he was offered by Haile Selassie I, in England.
He has a great passion to read and write; and proven his special multilingual abilities to speak, write, and read various foreign and local languages such as Amharic, Oromifa, English, French, and Italian. Born in Nekemte Town in 1929 where there were no modern schools in his locality at that time, Yakob, who was curious to know more about life, learned Ethiopian alphabets with the help of his father, Wolde Mariam Shuba.
When the Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, Yakob was only seven years old and had a great desire to pursue education. For that reason, Yakob joined an Italian school without his family’s approval and studied there for three years. When the Italians left Ethiopia, it was the Protestant missionaries who took over the school, and this provided Yakob with another opportunity to learn the English language.
In the latter periods, he was able to pursue his education at Teferi Mekonnen School, and then he joined Kotebe School, where only outstanding students were allowed to enroll. After completing his 12 grade education at Kotebe with the highest mark, Yakob was awarded a scholarship opportunity at the Imperial College of Science in London by Emperor Haile Selassie I to study Electrical Engineering, which was an important field to have graduates for the Ethiopian Electricity Authority and Addis Ababa Municipal Office.
After he joined the Imperial College of Science, Yakob continued to do well at the College. However, when he started to read books written on journalism, his childhood passion to become a journalist revived. In course of time, putting aside the electrical engineering course he was sent to study; continued reading focusing on the historic and professional accounts written on journalism. He also used to read newspapers and magazines. This experience further ignited Yakob`s passion of becoming a journalist.
Through the years, he even started to write articles for newspapers and magazines published in England as well as for the then Ethiopian English newspaper (New Times and Ethiopia News), which was published by a well-known historian, Prof. Richard Pankhurst`s mother, Sylvia Pankhurst. While things were going on in such a way, Yakob was compelled to get back home and have some rest due to health related problems.
As he returned, Yakob started his career as a teacher at Amha Desta Primary School in Addis Ababa with a monthly salary of 300 Birr. However, his passion for journalism did not fade away, despite the fact that he was working as a teacher. That is why Yakob founded a student newspaper alongside his teaching profession. After two years serving as a teacher, Yakob moved to his hometown, Nekemet, and started teaching at the Teferi Mekonnen School.
While teaching at Teferi Mekonen, he was drawn more to his passion and established a popular student newspaper, which was published in Amharic and English. In this newspaper, Yakob had a role of editing and writing headlines for the English version of the articles.
Two years after serving in Teferi Mekonnen School as a Vice Principal and Editor, Yakob left Nekemte and returned to Addis Ababa, where he started a job at The Ethiopian Herald Newspaper that fit his passion, following a recommendation from his friend.
Subsequently, after passing all practical examinations, Yakob was officially hired as a journalist in 1959 with a salary of 400 Birr. In those years, Yacob was an influential person in the Newspaper, next to the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. David Talbot. For that reason, he used to edit articles, recruit new journalists, and translate foreign news and articles from French and Italian into English language.
Yakob`s exceptional quality to lead The Ethiopian Herald was witnessed within a short time through the works that were reflected on the Newspaper and the structural changes he brought about on the Newspaper. For that reason, he was appointed to be the first Ethiopian Editor-in-Chief of The Ethiopian Herald Newspaper by the then Deputy Minister of Information, Amdemikael Desalegn.
As soon as Yacob took the position of Editor-in-Chief, he changed the shape and content of the Newspaper. The Ethiopian Herald which did not cover other events of the society beyond its usual reporting- the history and news of the outside world and some of the activities of the Emperor and the officials- now began to report and deal with various social, economic, political, cultural, religious, and other events in a wide and in-depth manner. This has proven Ethiopians capability in that particular position.
Today, The Ethiopian Herald is celebrating its 80th anniversary. The path though is not simple, following its reporters, editors and editors in chiefs’ efforts, who served in the Newspaper at different times and different situations; the Newspaper has reached where it is now. Unquestionably, 80 years is not as simple as it seems, particularly for a national newspaper that holds a responsibility of reporting the political, social, and diplomatic issues of the country on a daily basis.
Leaving alone sustaining a national newspaper for eight solid decades, managing a school’s newspaper for a month and keeping its survival is a daunting task in many cases. However, thanks to the passion and responsibility of the whole staff that have been excreting efforts, The Ethiopian Herald has continued reporting international and local issues and contributing its share to diplomatic ties. And, it will continue discharging its responsibility gloriously in the years to come too, of course.
Happy 80th Anniversary to all!
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 4 JULY 2023
