Local Radio Stations in Africa: Sustainability or Pragmatic Viability?

Despite the explosion of digital news outlets globally, millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa continue to rely on radio as the most accessible independent news source. However, radio stations across continent are facing unprecedented threats to their sustainability due to weak media markets, limited advertising revenue and intense competition. A more pragmatic understanding of viability and more flexible donor strategies can help these outlets stay on air and maintain their independence.

The Rise of Internet Throttling: A Hidden Threat to Media Development

An increasing number of governments around the world are forcing internet service providers to slow their services during critical sociopolitical junctures—a practice known as throttling—infringing on citizens’ right to information and freedom of expression. Despite its deleterious impact on media development and foundational rights, throttling remains an often-neglected topic and risks becoming a pervasive, yet hidden, threat to press freedoms, democracy, and human rights.

Supporting Media at a Time of Crisis: Donors Explore New Strategies

This report, the last in a series that has explored entry points for strengthening international cooperation in the media sector, sheds some light on these questions. Based on 27 interviews with representatives of both private and official donor agencies, it examines the major obstacles and stumbling blocks that will have to be avoided if global support to the media sector is increased. The institutional impediments to effective aid, the report finds, are frequently related to limited human capacity and expertise in media at the donor organizations and a misalignment of support and needs. The cross-donor collaborations currently being considered can help to address these shortcomings, though not without risks.

Tracking Media Development Donor Funding

International donors, both public and private, play an essential role in media development worldwide. Visit our Media Development Donor Profiles page for all of CIMA’s research on donor funding levels and strategic priorities.

What is Media Development?

The term “media development” refers to evolution and change in the fields of news media and communications. This evolution can be stimulated by donor support, private investment, or indigenous processes of change led by media owners, managers, journalists, or other players such as media industry associations, or other collective efforts.

CIMA's Blog

The Source

19
May
Local radio stations in Africa prove resilient amid COVID-19

By Mary Myers, Nicola Harford, and Martin Ssemakula Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, radio remains a dominant source of ne...
7
May
Women Producing the News: Workplace inequality and the impact on media development

This is the first in a series of posts on women and media development. When you imagine a journalist or news anchor what...
14
Apr
Global media organizations can build resilience to the coronavirus crisis by showing reporters they care

By Cristi Hegranes and Laxmi Parthasarathy In late January, the government of Mongolia imposed a nationwide lockdown to ...
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Wednesday, June 24th, 2020

Local News in Times of Crisis

Wednesday, June 24 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EDT Speakers: Teresa Gorman, Senior Program Associate f...

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Tuesday, September 17th, 2019

Surveillance for Sale: How China and Russia Export Repression Technology

Tuesday, September 17 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EDT (Light refreshments served at 10:00am) National ...

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Thursday, July 18th, 2019

Monitoring Media Freedom in Latin America: How Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 is Boosting Civil Society Engagement

Thursday, July 18 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT (Lunch served 12:00-12:15) National Endowment for Dem...

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Local Radio Stations in Africa: Sustainability or Pragmatic Viability?

Despite the explosion of digital news outlets globally, millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa continue to rely on radio as the most accessible independent news source. However, radio stations across continent are facing unprecedented threats to their sustainability due to weak media markets, limi...
Aggregated

Press Freedom Scores

Montenegro

In Montenegro, business leaders and government pressure independent media. The government tends to play favorites towards certain public media outlets. In addition, right to access is not always respected, especially with regards to government corruption incidents. Check out what the major media freedom indices have to say. (All scores are adjusted to a 0-100 scale).

  • IREX
  • FH
  • RSF