This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
Covid-19 crisis piles pressure on African media ¶
Published on June 7, 2020
Collapsing revenues and rising layoffs are battering media outlets across Africa, which were already struggling for cash and facing pressure from hostile authorities.
The economic fallout from the pandemic has sent sales and advertising income plummeting, with Nigeria's press being one of the most affected. In the past four months, hundreds of jobs have been lost in the Nigerian media.
"What is happening in Nigeria is not peculiar to us. The whole world is feeling the impact," said Qasim Akinreti, the chairman of the Lagos Union of Journalists.
Media houses in Kenya, Uganda, and Namibia have also been affected, with some slashing wages by up to half, halting printing, and reducing hours. The speed and severity of the current crunch have sparked calls for government bailouts.
Kenya's national regulator has unveiled a "historic" fund worth just under $1 million to help some 150 broadcasters weather the storm. However, there are fears that state aid would only increase political interference in sectors around Africa that are already often dominated by powerful vested interests.
"The government has been harassing the media. Several journalists are facing trials for frivolous offences," University of Lagos lecturer Olubunmi Ajibade said of the situation in Nigeria.
Just as the spread of the virus has caused revenues to dwindle, it has also posed unprecedented logistical challenges to media outlets. Lockdowns have hampered reporting, social distancing has forced journalists to work remotely with poor internet or electricity supplies, and protective equipment has added new costs.
On the streets, there have been reports of security forces harassing journalists trying to do their work. In Ghana, soldiers enforcing virus restrictions "assaulted" two reporters in April, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.
