Media stakeholders have called for urgent measures to address the growing challenges threatening media viability, press freedom, and journalist safety in Southern Africa.
Speaking during Media Partners Roundtable on Thursday at Mtolankhani House in Lilongwe, media experts and government representatives underscored the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to safeguard freedom of expression and the right to information in a democracy.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Advisor for Communication and Information, Alamin Yusuf, emphasized that media viability remains a major challenge, warning that without editorially curated media, the spread of misinformation and disinformation could worsen.
According to Yusuf, collaboration between media stakeholders, governments, and international organizations is essential in finding sustainable solutions.
“We need to work jointly, not in silos. So, we need to work with governments very closely. There is no use of advocating for changes without involving governments, because they are the custodians of policies. They are the custodians of media development. So, I think multi-stakeholder approach, but also engaging governments,” Yusuf stated.
He noted that Malawi and other nations can learn from regional and international experiences, particularly from countries that have successfully navigated press freedom restrictions, financial sustainability issues, and digital transformation in media.
In an interview, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Vice Chairperson Chisomo Ngulube described the meeting as timely and critical, highlighting the importance of understanding the current media landscape and the sustainability challenges media houses face.
“At times, we speak on media challenges without concrete data, but there have been thorough studies on media sustainability. These studies have examined the difficulties media houses face in staying afloat and the critical role the media plays in upholding democracy,” Nguluwe noted.
MISA Malawi and other media organizations pledged to follow up on the recommendations from the discussions to ensure concrete actions are taken.
“We have looked at the challenges women in the media face and identified key recommendations. Moving forward, we must ensure these recommendations are implemented,” Nguluwe added.
She also said that MISA Malawi has developed a journalist safety manual ahead of the 16 September 2025 general elections to equip journalists with the necessary tools to navigate threats to press freedom and media sustainability.
According to a recently released “Media Viability in Southern Africa: An Exploratory Study“, conducted by Media Monitors Zimbabwe, with support from UNESCO, several major challenges are threatening the sustainability of media houses in the region.
One of the main concerns is media capture, where governments, corporations, and political actors influence media operations and editorial content which compromises editorial independence, making it difficult for media houses to report objectively.
Another critical issue is restrictive media laws, which impose legal and regulatory barriers that limit press freedom, and diminishing income sources that have weakened media sustainability.
Other issues include safety and security of journalists, gender inequality in the media industry as women in journalism often face pay disparities, lack of leadership opportunities, and workplace harassment.
The study recommends that media stakeholders take concrete steps to improve media viability by diversifying revenue streams, explore alternative funding models such as subscriptions, sponsored content, events, and strategic partnerships to reduce dependence on advertising revenue, which has become increasingly unreliable.
The roundtable discussions were organised by MISA Malawi with financial support from UNESCO.
