Coalitions and networks as the bedrock of media transformation in Africa: a case for continued global solidarity

On 24 June 1994, MISA’s founding trustees, Zimbabwe’s late judge John Manyarara, Zambia’s public policy researcher, Professor Gilbert Mudenda, and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana Professor Bojosi Otlhogile signed a funding agreement with SIDA. This marked the establishment of the Media Institute of Southern Africa Education and Production Trust (MISA), which in turn supported the formation of national MISA offices. SIDA’s support for the formation of MISA marked a new era in approaches to media development focused on a locally owned regional vision and initiative, informed by the local context and anchored in international media freedom principles, the key being the Windhoek Declaration and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The MISA Regional coalition, a vision of Southern Africa’s media luminaries – among them former editor of the anti-apartheid paper, The Namibian, Gwen Lister, Zimbabwe’s iconic journalist, Geoff Nyarota, Mozambique’s Fernando Lima and Zambia’s Fred M´membe, among others – represented a new understanding among the post-Cold War African media actors on the opportunities and strategic role of media as a force for democratisation. The MISA model in turn spawned and inspired many other national and regional networks, including the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), operating in 16 West Africa countries.  

Media coalitions in Africa have been able, since the early 1990s, to focus on a holistic approach to media development that included a need to transform state broadcasters into public broadcasters, support community media, especially community radio stations, support private media startups and media policy reforms as well as advance the rights and roles of marginalised groups in society, especially women, including women in media. While a lot still needs to be done, the media in Africa has significantly transformed, with notable diversity and plurality in many countries. A transformed media was and remains a key factor in entrenching good governance, especially in electoral processes, became a partner in fighting the HIV-AIDS pandemic in the 1990s and 2000s, continues to spotlight on a need for change on such issues as the abuse of women and girls and remains a partner as Africa faces new challenges such as climate change and the scourge of disinformation in digital spaces.

It is therefore notable that in 2023 the SIDA-Democracy Hub working with IMS (International Media Support) supported research on the effectiveness, roles, capacities and new opportunities for media coalitions and networks in Africa. With notable and watershed changes impacting media ecosystems globally, equally inspired and threatened by digital technologies, the SIDA-Democracy Hub support for research and dialogues among media actors in Africa is a timely opportunity for reflection on where Africa stands in terms of media coalitions and networks and a reflection and exploration of media coalitions’ future-fit for Africa.

The Media Coalitions for Change (MC4C) research was carried out by IMS in 2023, with a focus on engaging media actors across sub-Saharan Africa, assessing the impact, relevance and needs of media coalitions. The MC4C study is interesting in its analysis of the historical path that media coalitions have followed, noting the successes and pitfalls thereof. Success stories include the set-up of robust networks and coalitions in southern Africa represented by MISA and MFWA in west Africa and coalition-led policy reforms, including enactment of access to information laws in 29 African countries.

All the while, new coalitions and networks are emerging in Africa, some focused on single agendas or themes, including fostering cooperation and coordination on youth focused digital media awareness and use, climate change and investigative journalism (IJ). IMS’ Sahel partner CENOZO is a good example of an IJ, climate and environment focused network.

Traditional coalitions have mostly focused on policy reforms, safety and training, with little focus on youth, digital media and content creation. The emergence of new networks focused on digital rights, such as CIPESA, Paradigm Initiative among others, necessitates cooperation between the established and new networks as a way to promote inter-coalition and inter-network coordination and mitigate parallel programming and duplication of efforts. The complexity of emerging media issues such as technological convergence or digitisation and abuse of social media calls for greater cooperation among media networks, enabling skills sharing and linkages with other non-media groups, be they NGOs or business. Examples include a need to engage with business such as telecoms both within and outside Africa, as these are key actors in enabling digital media and mitigating disinformation. The MC4C noted a skills gap in understanding these issues, adding: “advocacy on digital rights and net freedoms are limited to a few issues such as misinformation/disinformation and internet shutdowns, but advocacy strategies on these are inadequate. Global coalitions such as AccessNow and #KeepItOn are active in these areas.” The research noted a need for leadership capacity and ensuring a pipeline of new leaders.

While there exists a gap between the old coalitions and new networks and coalitions, the report noted that media reforms in Africa remain a continuum from issues of the past two decades, among them a need to advocate for access to information, safety of journalists, promote gender equality and media diversity and sustainability. Media actors need to take advantage of the growing access to digital technologies to address the challenges noted above and support coalitions and network efforts to help keep an eye on the broad indicators of media development. Media support in Africa needs to remain holistic in its approach and not skewed toward one area, noting that policy reforms are still as important as access to digital media as well as safe operating spaces. African media, like the all media globally, are also facing sustainability issues.

The MC4C study observed that African media is taking advantage of digital spaces to advance media and free expression rights as well as explore digitally linked sustainability models. It is notable that about 60 percent of Africans still rely on traditional media such as radio, meaning a need for cross media platform engagement. For these reasons, the MC4C study calls upon media actors and media development partners to “develop strategies on how to effectively build broad-based, cross-sector and multistakeholder coalitions”. The study recommends that there be a greater facilitation and exchange of information, skills, experiences, materials and opportunities for collaboration, support for youth- and women-focused media initiatives and support for journalism as a public good, particularly in the era of growing and negative disinformation.

IMS is acting on the MC4C study by mobilising resources and capacity building towards improving the performance of media coalitions. This approach provides opportunities to work with other media development partners to support the long-term sustainability of proven initiatives in coalition building. IMS and SIDA-Democracy support that is already partly underway includes capacity building of media coalitions working on pushing back on election-related disinformation in Mozambique, Tanzania and Ghana in 2024 and 2025.

What SIDA started three decades ago, as documented in the MC4C study, remains an inspiration to IMS and its partners in Africa. The MC4C validates the argument for long term support to media development anchored in local ownership and dynamic or flexible enough to adjust to changing circumstances. The MC4C validates IMS’ coalition and network approach and support for public interest journalism that enables citizen participation in the developmental agenda.

As Africa faces existential threats including climate change and disinformation – for which it is far less prepared compared to the rest of the world – media coalitions and networks can bring holistic approaches including platforms for information sharing and dialogues addressing these challenges. A strategic rethink and inclusion of other groups are necessary, as are global solidarity and support for media coalitions and networks, in order to sustain the democracy agenda.