Join WAN-IFRA for a new season of the Media Freedom podcast, The Backstory, in which they are exploring challenges facing the media across Africa.
The Backstory Media Freedom Podcast
Exploring media freedom issues from across the globe
Season 4, Episode 6: It’s not just tech: innovation in African media
News organisations around the world are facing a new digital reality. In order to survive, they must not only hold onto their audiences, but also build new ones. How are African news media using innovation to address these issues? While innovative ideas tend to be tech-focused, the fundamental issue for many African media organisations is not just about technology, it’s also about how the news itself is reported and presented – and especially, how the continent is portrayed, and the narratives around it.
In this episode:
- Chris Roper, Deputy CEO, Code for Africa, South Africa
- Nigel Mugamu, Chief Storyteller, 263Chat, Zimbabwe
- Moky Makura, Executive Director, Africa No Filter
Music in this episode: Something Elated by Broke for Free.
Season 4, Episode 5: Reporting on Africa’s dangerous beats
What are the threats and challenges facing reporters who cover Africa’s biggest stories? How have threats evolved over the years, and what support do journalists have? Three journalists talk about their experiences of covering three very different, uniquely challenging beats (environment, elections, LGBTQ+ issues), and how they get to the story while keeping themselves and their sources safe.
In this episode:
- Madeline Ngeunga, Data journalist, InfoCongo, Cameroon.
- Eric Oduor, Editor of the Nation Media Group, and Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Journalists.
- Caleb Okereke, Managing Editor of Minority Africa, Uganda.
Music in this episode: Sal by Xylo-Ziko.
Season 4, Episode 4: Meet them where they are: how media can reach youth in Africa
Africa’s youth population is booming and it’s a demographic that cares deeply about the issues that affect our world. But capturing the attention of young people means understanding what news they want and how they want to get it. Legacy media across the continent are reassessing their offer, while innovative platforms featuring images and video are growing in popularity. In this episode of The Backstory, we’ll look at the ways in which news organisations across Africa are trying to attract – and keep – younger audiences.
Featured in this episode:
- Tshepo Tshabalala, Director of Jamlab Africa in South Africa
- Kanyinsola Aroyewun, Head of Marketing and Content Growth at Pulse, Nigeria
- Edwin Madu, Editor in chief of Zikoko, Nigeria
- Yusuf Omar, Co-Founder Hashtag Our Stories
Music in this episode: Simple Hop by Broke for Free
Season 4, Episode 3: Investigative journalism in Africa: A necessary expense
Investigative journalism is the lifeblood of media, but it is also the most expensive element of any media operation. Yet even as resources to produce investigations dwindle, journalists in Africa continue to dedicate themselves to in-depth reporting into the most serious issues on the continent. Donor-funded investigative centres or platforms have been created to fill in the gaps of legacy media, which often struggle to support this kind of journalism. But are these centres stripping the media companies of their investigative talents, or are they filling badly needed holes? And how hard is it to actually get the job done?
Featured in this episode:
- Naipanoi Lepapa, freelance investigative journalist, Kenya
- Sam Sole, journalist and managing partner of amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism
- Mimi Mefo Takambou, Cameroonian investigative journalist, founder of Mimi Mefo Info (mimimefoinfos.com)
- Benon Oluka, co-founder of The Watchdog, Uganda and Africa editor at the Global Investigative Journalism Network
For more resources and tips visit WAN-IFRA’s press freedom page
The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.
Music in this episode: Something Elated by Broke for Free
Season 4, Episode 2: Where is the money? Financing African media
In a time of exceptional crisis for newsrooms and media companies everywhere, African media is facing huge financial challenges. But this time of uncertainty is also forcing media companies to find innovative ways of coping. Where is the money coming from, and how is the digital transition helping – or hindering – a future economic model?
In this episode, we look at the struggles that African media companies are confronting, and the solutions they are finding.
Featured in this episode:
- Charles Kanamugire, Managing Director, Kigali Today Ltd., Rwanda
- Lisa MacLeod, publishing consultant, FT Strategies and former head of digital at Tiso Blackstar Group in South Africa
- Alexander Owino, financial expert, Kenya
Season 4, Episode 1: Press freedom in Africa, 30 years after Windhoek
It’s been 30 years since the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press was born on May 3, 1991 in Namibia, to support independent media in Africa. The declaration was not only a proud moment for African journalism but inspired the United Nations to launch World Press Freedom Day two years later.
Though some countries across the African continent have made press freedom gains since then, many continue to struggle with journalist safety, independence and financial pressures. In this episode, we look at the press freedom challenges facing African media and what steps are being taken towards improvement.
Featured in this episode:
- Angela Quintal: Director of the Africa program, Committee to Protect Journalists
- Gwen Lister: Founder, The Namibian
- Churchill Otieno: Head of Development & Learning, The Nation; President, Kenya Editors Guild
- Joan Chirwa: Founder, The Free Press Initiative, Zambia
