This research attempted to study the nature of edito rial independence in the Eth iopian priva ternmedia houses by looking into the typical newsroom cultures and the natural rela tionsh iprnproprietors have with their editors.rnTo this end, the researcher has employed exclusively qualitative method to collect data. In-depthrninterviews are conducted with editors-in-chief and publishers of the private press. Besides, thernresearcher has explored the old and new Ethiopian media legislations, in house code of conducts,rnand editorial policy of selected media houses to examine their relevance to th e concept ofrneditorial independence. Lastly, the researcher employed participant and simple observationrnmethods to deeply investigate the newsroom culture to find out the natural relati onship thernpublishers have with their editors. The researcher also has attended a series of editorial meetingsrnto fmiher examine the group dynamics among the newsroom staff.rnIn the Ethiopian press law, Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information Proc lam ation,rnpublishers are obliged to assign editor-in-chief and deputy edi tor-i n-chief who can take thernultimate power andresponsibility about the content of the paper, so that publishers will be keptrnaside from interfering on the journali sts' job, so then respect the editorial independence of theirrnemployees.rnHowever, the Ethiopian private press does not seem to be willing to adopt the new regulation.rnPublishers take part in the daily routine of editors; dictate their journalists, involve in allrnnewsroom 'doings raliging from story idea to news selection, from sto ry angle and placel11ent tornlayout and design of the paper. Thus, publishers possibly have an ultimate power to use theirrnpaper to prol110te and demote, to make shine or shadow any topic and personality, based on theirrninterest, disregarding basic journalistic standards.rnThe overall finding of the research shows that editors in the Ethiopian private l11 ed ia houses workrnin tense and business-driven newsrooms; editors-in-chief of the private press hardl y enjoys th eirrnedi torial independence and thus made to play the role of 'stunt editor'.