Globally, the media industry is undergoing a far-reaching transformation as a result of rapid economic, technological and political changes over the past decade. The digital revolution has been positive in many respects: significantly more people are now able to affordably and quickly access vast amounts of information via internet platforms around the world. However, digitalisation has also significantly disrupted and eroded long-established sources of income for media houses.
This ongoing transformation is not only about journalists losing jobs. Journalism’s ability to hold powerful leaders and entities to account has been undermined. Newsrooms have been closed and the capacity for investigative journalism has been diminished, while false reports and unsubstantiated claims often go viral via the Internet.
This report, produced by the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Namibia Media Trust, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, looks at how these international trends are affecting Namibia. How far has digital disruption already impacted the Namibian media? What are the prospects for the future viability of the news industry in Namibia? And what will the impact of all this be on media freedom in a country that only recently was rated as having one of the best media environments in Africa?
