Media development challenges in Francophone Africa
You will find the full report below.
The Francophone African media environment is diverse and dynamic, reflecting the continent’s vast cultural, political and socio-economic diversity. While many countries have made significant strides in expanding press freedom, fostering pluralism and embracing digital innovation, the media sector continues to face deep structural challenges that threaten its longterm sustainability and independence.
Support to the media and information environment must take this into account. But how relevant and effective is the support by donors and international partners? To what extent does it align with the OECD’s six principles for effective media assistance? Drawing on interviews and a survey with media developers and experts from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Rwanda and Senegal, a new assessment reveals that none of the six principles are fully met.
Principle 1: Do no harm to public interest media
Significant oversights in security planning, risk mitigation, and institutional support remain unaddressed. Many international partners fail to anticipate and mitigate risks faced by media actors in fragile or repressive contexts.
Recommendations
Ensure joint risk analysis and local ownership: Conduct co-designed risk assessments with local partners before project launch.
Principle 2: Increase financial and other assistance
Donor funding remains mostly short-term, project-based, and rarely covers core operational costs or institutional needs. Many interviewees across the continent pointed out that even when funding exists, it is unstable, inflexible, and does not allow sustainability or capacity development. The lack of institutional support was cited as a critical gap.
Recommendations
Enable local ownership and leadership in capacity-building programs: Donors should trust local institutions to lead training; and co-design training programs with local organizations and media practitioners and provide institutional support.
Principle 3: Take a whole-of-system perspective
The majority of international partners do not carry out complete or collaborative analyses of the media landscape before intervening. Analyses are often unilaterally produced by beneficiaries, without review or dialogue.
Recommendations
Co-design diagnostics with local organizations from the project design stage and set up permanent consultation frameworks between international partners and local organizations to ensure a shared understanding of sector challenges.
Principle 4: Local leadership and ownership
Many media development initiatives still lack genuine local ownership. Local organizations are often relegated to co-applicant or implementing roles, and the expertise of local professionals is undervalued. There is limited trust in local capacities and parachuting of Global North experts remains widespread.
Recommendations
Invest in local trainer training programs to build autonomous expertise pipelines and support institutional development of local media organizations to strengthen their ability to manage funds and lead initiatives.
Principle 5: Improve coordination
The coordination of donor support remains inconsistent across the region. In some countries administrative burdens are minimal, but in others, particularly where organizations handle multiple donors with differing requirements, the lack of harmonization creates inefficiencies, increased workload and resource strain.
Recommendations
Promote co-funding agreements where one donor manages compliance for others. Invest in training and support staff for local media and civil society organizations to manage complex administrative tasks.
Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research and learning
The region shows an emerging awareness of the importance of research and learning but faces significant challenges in institutionalizing these practices. Financial and technological constraints, along with lack of dedicated research capacity, hinder deeper investment.
Recommendations
Create dedicated research and learning departments within media organizations, with clear mandates for regular data collection, audience studies and impact assessment.
Dr. Jean Claude Bitsure is a journalist, lecturer, and researcher at several universities in Burundi and the region, as well as a bilingual media and journalism senior consultant, working with various organizations within the East African Community and beyond. He carried out multiple research activities within the East African Communication Association (EACA).
Rev. Jean Pierre Uwimana is President of Rwanda Journalism Educators Network (RJEN) and Vice- Chair of Board of Commissioners of Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), Media Self-regulatory body. He works as a lecturer at the Department of Journalism and Communication, School of Arts, Languages and Communication Studies at the University of Rwanda.
