Threats to African press freedom could grow

Outlook

As authoritarian trends worsen across the region and corruption persists as a problem for most states, press freedoms and journalists’ safety are increasingly coming under threat. This is particularly the case in countries experiencing rising political instability amid leadership crises, such as Cameroon, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea.

While some semi-authoritarian governments have initiated nascent media reform, such as Angola under its new president, others such as Tanzania are attempting to further codify and control the dissemination of information by gagging journalists and NGOs.

Freedom House’s 2018 index states respect for civil liberties has declined across sub-Saharan Africa every year for the past decade, while four African countries are among the worst ten countries globally for media freedoms, according to Reporters Without Borders 2017 Press Freedom Ranking.

Impacts

• South Africa’s media will likely persist as an outlier for anti-corruption revelations and whistle-blower reports.
• While use of social media will partially subvert state censorship attempts, more frequent internet shutdowns are likely.
• Authoritarian governments may increasingly attempt to stifle independent media through more restrictive legislation.
• International NGOs could pressure Western governments to further tie aid commitments to media freedoms.