The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) is set to officially launch its flagship State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa 2026 report on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the World Press Freedom Day Global Commemorations in Lusaka.
The report, which covers 11 countries including Zimbabwe, offers a grim assessment of the media environment, warning that the region is experiencing a regression in freedom of expression.
According to the report, this decline is compounded by shrinking civic space, global tensions, and intensified state efforts to control independent information.
Misa regional director Tabani Moyo emphasised that the publication serves as a critical mirror to the region.
“This report is not just a collection of data, it is a wake-up call,” Moyo said.
“The price of silence is becoming far too expensive for our democracies. We are seeing a concerted effort to throttle independent journalism, not just through old-fashioned censorship but also through sophisticated legal and digital manoeuvres aimed at reclaiming the narrative.
“This report is our compass to reclaim that space.”
The 2026 report highlights several primary threats facing the Southern African media ecosystem.
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While artificial intelligence offers opportunities to improve newsroom efficiency and fact-checking, the report warns that it is also being exploited to generate deepfakes and synthetic disinformation.
In countries like Zimbabwe, this technological encroachment is already challenging editorial credibility and audience trust.
In addition, the report argues that the crisis in journalism is fundamentally a market failure.
“With advertising revenue increasingly dominated by global platforms, independent media houses are struggling to survive,” Moyo said.
“The findings warn that no amount of individual innovation can overcome the structural barriers that currently threaten the viability of public-interest journalism.”
Across the region, the report notes, governments are increasingly using cybersecurity and data protection laws, originally intended to safeguard internet users, as tools to stifle dissent and monitor journalists.
The report notes that these laws are routinely used to restrict critical reporting on corruption and human rights abuses.
As the regional media community convenes in Lusaka, the report, now in its sixth edition, serves as a call to action, urging stakeholders to recommit to the foundational principles of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration and its successor 2021 Windhoek Declaration +30 – Information as a public good, while adapting to the digital threats of the 21st century.
