MEDIA FREEDOM - The African Mirror

Mar

17

2021

How press freedom was threatened during Covid-19

MEDIA FREEDOM

MEERA SELVA A free press is needed to provide the flow of information through a society, and also to hold the powerful to account and tell the stories of those who may otherwise not be heard. A free press also paints pictures of our society. It defines us and it defines the national conversation. A free press is also under attack. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 274 journalists were imprisoned last year. Thirty-two were killed, some by crossfire or in war zones, but many deliberately targeted and murdered as a direct result of their work. Not only is…

Nov

26

2025

By FRANZ KRÜGER

South Africa needs to rethink its community media policy – 4 ways to close the gaps

MEDIA FREEDOM

COMMUNITY media have received support for around three decades, and yet South Africa’s information landscape remains deeply unequal. The distribution of media closely matches the country’s socio-economic inequality. People in middle-class suburbs have access to an ever-growing range of information sources. Poorer areas and the countryside are often news deserts. Sustained support for community media has undoubtedly led to growth in media in marginalised areas. Around 230 community radio stations are currently licensed, according to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. The Association of Independent Publishers lists around 190 print and online members. However, many are enterprises battling simply…

Nov

22

2025

By STAFF REPORTER

Africa’s embattled newsrooms to convene in Nairobi as press freedom crisis deepens

MEDIA FREEDOM

AFRICA's most influential gathering of newsroom leaders will convene in Kenya's capital in February 2026, as the continent's media sector confronts what analysts describe as an existential crisis marked by deteriorating press freedoms, collapsing revenue models, and intensifying government pressure on independent journalism. The Africa Editors Congress (AEC), scheduled for February 23-24, 2026, arrives at a critical juncture for African journalism. Across the continent, newsrooms face a perfect storm: authoritarian governments increasingly intolerant of critical coverage, the wholesale collapse of traditional advertising markets, and the dominance of foreign technology platforms that extract value while contributing little to local journalism ecosystems.…

Oct

23

2025

By The African Mirror

Junta agents disguised as thieves attack Guinea media house, journalists say

MEDIA FREEDOM

CONAKRY, Guinea — An independent media house in Guinea has been crippled in what journalists and editors are calling a calculated assault on press freedom, with security operatives allegedly masquerading as common criminals to destroy printing equipment while leaving valuable items untouched. The Lynx-Lance Press Group's printing plant in Conakry was vandalised on Saturday, October 18, when intruders scaled the facility's walls during a heavy rainstorm and systematically disabled the company's operational printing presses. In an unusual pattern for a robbery, the attackers stole nothing of significant monetary value, instead targeting components critical to the newspaper's production. "The bandits jumped…

Aug

05

2025

By The African Mirror

African media watchdog demands action after security forces assault Ghanaian journalists

MEDIA FREEDOM

THE African Editors Forum (TAEF) is demanding immediate action from Ghanaian authorities following a disturbing pattern of violent attacks on journalists by the country's security forces, with two separate incidents in July highlighting what the organisation calls a culture of impunity among uniformed officers. The latest incidents have prompted strong condemnation from President John Dramani Mahama, but media advocates say words alone are insufficient to address the escalating threats to press freedom in the West African democracy. On July 11, 2025, a police officer physically assaulted GHOne TV reporter Kwabena Agyekum Banahene during parliamentary by-elections in Ablekuma North, an attack…

Jul

29

2025

By The African Mirror

Media freedom under siege: Rights group documents 141 attacks on journalists under Tinubu administration

MEDIA FREEDOM

A new report has documented an alarming escalation in attacks on media freedom in Nigeria, with 141 incidents of harassment, detention, and violence against journalists and citizens recorded during the first two years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) released its mid-term assessment, revealing that law enforcement agencies have systematically targeted journalists and critics through the misuse of cybercrime legislation, creating what the organisation calls an "onslaught" against press freedom. Between May 29, 2023, and May 29, 2025, Nigerian police were responsible for 61 cases of attacks on media workers and citizens expressing their views…

Jul

19

2025

By The African Mirror

African Media Councils unite to combat misinformation, demand end to defamation laws

MEDIA FREEDOM

AFRICA’S independent media councils have established a unified front against digital misinformation and authoritarian press restrictions, electing new leadership and demanding governments across the continent repeal laws criminalising defamation and sedition. The Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA) concluded its inaugural Annual General Meeting in Arusha, with delegates from 13 media councils calling for a "continental approach" to digital governance that prioritises freedom of expression while combating the spread of false information. Kennedy Mambwe, Chairperson of Zambia's Media Self-Regulation Council, was elected Assembly President, while Phathiswa Magopeni, Executive Director of South Africa's Press Council, will serve as Board…

Mar

27

2025

By LAYIRÉ DIOP

Fighting fake news: how media in Kenya and Senegal check facts

MEDIA FREEDOM

MISINFORMATION has accelerated in recent years, in speed and volume. Studies show that Africans are exposed to misinformation and disinformation on a regular basis. Disinformation refers to false information deliberately created to cause harm. Misinformation consists of false information that wasn’t created with the intention of harming individuals or groups. Either way, it’s often difficult to know whether something is true and accurate. Media fact-checking and media literacy have become more important than ever. As specialists in media and mass communication, we conducted a study of strategies to combat misinformation and disinformation. We also examined the role and impact of…

Mar

26

2025

By TEMPLE UWALAKA

Nigerian journalists are harassed by the public, the state and paid ‘data boys’ – what must change

MEDIA FREEDOM

DEATH threats, kidnapping, unlawful detention, torture and assassination are some of the crimes being committed against journalists in Nigeria, according to a recent report. Another recent report details how the police and politicians are responsible for 70% of these harassment cases. They point to the increased level of threats that Nigerian journalists endure in their fourth estate role, serving as the voice of the people and holding the government to account. This isn’t new. The harassment of journalists is baked into Nigerian history. But today journalists are also attracting online threats and harassment from members of the public. I teach…

Mar

03

2025

By Jovial Rantao

The Flame of Truth: Durra Mohammed Gambo honoured for Unyielding Quest for Journalism

MEDIA FREEDOM

IN the heart of Sudan, where the Blue and White Nile rivers converge, a beacon of courage has emerged in the form of Durra Mohammed Gambo, a journalist whose unwavering commitment to truth has illuminated the darkest corners of oppression. Recently honoured as the 2025 laureate of the Service to Journalism Award by The Africa Editors Forum (TAEF), Durra's story is a testament to the transformative power of journalism in the face of adversity. Amidst the chaos of a nation torn apart by conflict, Durra Mohammed Gambo stood resolute, her notebook and recorder capturing the stories that needed to be…