By Delicious Mathuthu
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping journalism in Southern Africa, raising both opportunities and serious threats to press freedom, a newly launched 2025 State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa report by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has revealed.
Unveiled during the regional World Press Freedom Day commemorative conference in Johannesburg on 8 May 2025, the report paints a complex picture of the media landscape.
While it notes a decline in direct attacks on journalists, MISA Regional Director Dr. Tabani Moyo from Zimbabwe, warned that the digital age has brought new forms of violence, censorship, and challenges to media safety.
“I am both alarmed and inspired by the findings of the 2025 State of Press Freedom in Southern Africa Report,” Dr. Moyo said during the launch, he said adding, “the document highlights the urgent need to address violence amplified by technology, including sexual and gender-based violence, hate speech, misinformation, cyberbullying, and child exploitation.”
Dr. Moyo urged stakeholders to collaborate in crafting an inclusive, human rights-based policy framework that upholds legal and ethical standards aligned with the Global Digital Compact.
Dr. Moyo lamented the restrictive laws that continue to target journalists and suppress access to information.
“In many respects, we have taken a step forward and many backwards,” he said.
The report, supported by UNESCO, the European Commission and The Singrid Rausing Trust, covers 11 countries and aligns with the UN’s SDG 16.10, advocating for public access to information and fundamental freedoms.
Government representatives from across the region acknowledged the challenges.
Zimbabwe’s Dr. Jonathan Gandari, present at the launch, said the report was a fair reflection of events on the ground, while Eswatini’s Bongani Mkhaliphi pledged reforms to repeal repressive laws.
Experts say the report stirs critical dialogue on ensuring that Southern Africa’s media landscape remains both free and safe, on and offline, in the face of emerging technologies.
