Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Placards are left outside the Ethiopian Embassy in Nairobi after a demonstration by Ethiopian refugee journalists in Nairobi, 2 May 2006., AP Photo/Sayyid Azim

27-year jail sentence for Somali journalist in Ethiopia a “travesty of justice”

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange condemns the 27-year sentence imposed on Mohamed Aweys Mudey and notes that the Ethiopian media environment is characterized by the arrest of journalists.

MFWA

Civil society groups urge African countries to pass access to information laws

A group of nine civil society organisations has urged countries without access to information legislation, such as Ghana, to take urgent steps to put a law in place.

MISA

Twelve Southern African “women to watch” who are improving media freedom

“The twelve women profiled in this publication are all contributing, in their own unique and creative ways, to making southern Africa a more conducive environment for media freedom and improving the ability of all people to access their right to freedom of expression” said MISA Regional Director Ms Zoe Titus.

Zimbabwean police are seen outside the Supreme Court in Harare on 20 August 2013., AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi

Zimbabwean police assault newspaper vendor

Newspaper vendor Fungai Dhori was reportedly assaulted by a group of three policemen in Harare who accused him of feeding NewsDay papers with “fictitious stories” about corruption in the police force.

Mktp/Flickr/http://bit.ly/L92UzP

On Valentine’s Day, southern African countries urged to respect LGBT rights

For a person to fully enjoy their human rights, they must be able to express their sexual orientation and their gender identity freely and without fear. This is not possible when there is no freedom of opinion and expression. So this Valentine’s Day, the Media Institute of Southern Africa reminds southern Africans that the right to freedom of expression belongs to everyone.

Members of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, January 2014., AFEX

New African free expression network highlights need for protection of journalists

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange, a network of organisations who are also IFEX members, has deplored the current state of attacks, arrests, and harassments meted out to journalists in many countries on the continent, especially in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Somalia.

MISA

Media Institute of Southern Africa joins campaign to free detained Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has joined journalists, activists and civil society organisations from all over the world in calling for the release of three Al Jazeera journalists currently detained in Egypt.

A woman picks vegetables near a residential compound under construction in Zhejiang province, China, 17 January 2014, REUTERS/William Hong

Transparency, independent media are vital for global development plan

195 civil society organisations from around the world have called on the UN to put government accountability and independent media at the centre of a new framework for global development.