Media development challenges in Anglophone Africa

Anglophone Africa’s media operates in politically sensitive and economically constrained environments. Press freedom provisions exist but are inconsistently enforced, with political influence exerted through ownership structures, advertising contracts, and informal pressure. Economic pressures are acute and the media development space has experienced an average downward trend in receiving donations.

Media development in Anglophone Africa is marked by partial progress and persistent challenges. While some organizations have adopted safety measures, financial and systemic fragility remain dominant, with most outlets reliant on short-term donor support and operating in politically restrictive environments. Local actors are often relegated to implementers rather than decision-makers, coordination among donors and media remains weak and investment in research and knowledge sharing is limited.

Yet, promising practices—such as Kenya’s Baraza Media Lab diversified funding model, West Africa’s legal defense networks, and Namibia’s integration of media literacy into education—demonstrate the potential for scalable, locally-driven solutions. Moving forward, the sector’s sustainability will hinge on long-term funding, stronger local leadership, and coordinated, evidence-based frameworks tailored to African contexts. Here are the highlights of the findings based on the OECD principles.

Principle 1: Do no harm to public interest media

This principle is only partially fulfilled. While 61.1% of respondents agree that their organizations have strategies to manage safety risks and 41.1% report access to monitoring tools, high neutrality (27.8%-35.3%) and disagreement (11.1%-23.5%) reveal significant gaps in consistent, embedded protection measures.

Recommendation

There is a need to strengthen and institutionalize comprehensive safety and risk-management protocols to ensure consistent protection of journalists and media organizations.

Principle 2: Increase financial and other assistance

This principle is weakly fulfilled. Only 11.1% of respondents believe their organizations receive sufficient funding, while 72.2% disagree. On average, organizations reported a 20.7% decline in funding between 2019 and 2024, with a median decline of 40%.

Recommendation

There is an opportunity to develop long-term, diversified funding mechanisms that reduce reliance on short-term donor support and bolster financial resilience.

Principle 3: Take a whole-of-system perspective

This principle remains only partially fulfilled. Just 22.3% of respondents report that up-to-date data and analysis of the media environment exist and only 29.4% confirm that media development in the region follows a long-term approach. However, 29 to 39% of respondents remain neutral and 41 to 44%  disagree which shows that systemic and sustained interventions still do not take root consistently.

Recommendation

Investment into coordinated, evidence-based, and long-term interventions that address systemic challenges will help in improving the media ecosystem.

Principle 4: Local leadership and ownership

This principle is moderately fulfilled. While 72.2% of respondents agree their organizations focus strongly on marginalized groups, participation in project design, budgeting, and evaluation remains limited, showing that local actors are often implementers rather than agenda-setters.

Recommendation

There is a need to enhance inclusive decision-making processes that empower local actors to set agendas, lead projects, and shape  media development outcomes.

Principle 5: Improve coordination

This principle is minimally fulfilled. Only 23.5% of respondents agree that donors and media organizations coordinate swiftly in the face of crises, while 52.9% disagree. Although 58.8% find donor budget management efficient, many participants highlighted that they faced donor related administrative burdens and uneven involvement in coordination of donor related programs.

Recommendation

The establishment of streamlined coordination platforms between donors and media stakeholders will help reduce the administrative burdens faced by media development organizations and improve responsiveness during crises.

Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research and learning

This principle is only partially fulfilled. While 47.1% of respondents agree that best practices are available, just 29.4% report receiving donor funding for research and the average budget allocation for research and learning is only 22.6% (median 20%).

Recommendation

An increase in targeted funding for research, knowledge-sharing platform and adaptive learning initiatives that inform evidence-based strategies would help strengthen media operations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the assessment of Anglophone Africa’s media landscape against the OECD principles highlights a sector under significant strain, yet with clear opportunities for strengthening resilience. While there are commendable efforts—such as the adoption of digital-first strategies and a focus on marginalized communities—structural challenges persist.

Safety and risk management practices remain uneven, funding is precarious and overly reliant on short-term donor support and systemic approaches to media development are weak. Local actors are frequently implementers rather than agenda-setters, coordination between donors and organizations is inconsistent and research and learning remain underfunded.

To address these gaps, stakeholders must prioritize comprehensive safety protocols, build financial sustainability through diversified models and embed systemic, long-term interventions.

Equally critical is enhancing inclusive local leadership, creating streamlined donor coordination mechanisms and investing robustly in research and knowledge-sharing. Taken together, these measures can create a more resilient, independent and sustainable media ecosystem that not only withstands political and economic pressures but also plays its vital role in advancing democracy and public accountability across the region.

Robi Koki Ochieng is a media and communication scholar with a great interest in the role of media in enhancing gender and governance issues in Kenya. As Chair of USIU–Africa’s Media and Communication Department, she has designed and led programs such as the Digital Democracy Fellowship (CRECO) and gender-sensitive reporting initiatives with AWiM, advancing inclusive and accountable media. She has over 30 years of teaching and mentoring experience and contributed to research and consultancy projects with AMWIK, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, AWiM, Hivos, and KICTANet, with a focus on strengthening African media for equity, accountability, and social justice.