By Raphael Mweninguwe
Democratic elections in some African countries are held in a tense political environment with journalists and critics of the State facing intimidation, arrests and violence. It is a situation where media freedom hangs in the balance.
In recent months, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda held elections which saw journalists and government critics beaten up, arrested and jailed. It has been a period where opposing voices are muted.
Restricting access to information
In Uganda, the Internet was shut down for “security” reasons denying the masses access to information they needed regarding the elections. The Uganda Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, which the Court annulled in March this year was used by authorities against any person including the media for what authorities deemed defamatory.
The law was aimed at those people sending or sharing false, malicious, and unsolicited information online and criminalised unauthorised access to data and prohibited sharing of data relating to children without authorisation from their parents or guardians.
The annulment of the Ugandan criminal defamation law marked a historic victory for press freedom, according to Committee to Protect Journalism (CPJ) Africa Director Angela Quintal.
Attacks on journalists
Some journalists who covered the opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi in the Ugandan elections were attacked by State security apparatus.
In Malawi, authorities used the 2016 Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act to silence the media and government critics. In some cases, Malawian journalists have faced attacks and arrests for what authorities said were unlawful media publications.
A few days after the new administration of Arthur Peter Mutharika came into power the then Director of News at the State-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Rex Chikoko was suspended for paying too much attention to a foreign diplomat and not the president.
In Tanzania the situation is no different. Journalists were attacked and some killed while covering elections. The International Press Institute (IPI) global network condemned such attacks.
After the October 2025 elections, the State barred the press from covering the testimonies of victims and relatives of those killed during post-election violence. A government appointed commission reported that at least 518 people died in the violence, although the figure is likely to be higher.
No proper reasons were given by the State to restrict the media from covering the testimonies while the actions of the police and other security agencies were public.
“What happened in Tanzania was unacceptable. The government should realise that journalists are bound by their professional ethics and they understand that they know their limitations especially when protecting vulnerable sources,” said George Ntonya, a journalist based in Lilongwe, Malawi.
He said what happened in Tanzania, like many other countries in Africa, shows that the media is not free and subject to crackdowns. Ntonya says laws that limit media freedoms are still in the Statutes in many countries.
The impact on diversity
“Diverse and inclusive views within the media industry are far from being fully reported. During campaign periods, politicians and their political parties promise a lot of good things to the electorate, because their main objective is to get votes and form a government,” he said, adding, “They promise the rule of law, transparency and accountability but none or little of these get implemented.”
Ntonya said the freedom of the press being promised before elections by politicians is never fulfilled. He said state media is used as a tool to silence independent media.
The selection of what needs to be covered by the media is not by accident. Most Africans are of the view that the media is not free and there is heavy control from governments. Research published by Afro Barometer found about two-thirds (65%) of citizens endorse the principle that the media “should have the right to publish any views and ideas without government control”.
The study further shows that, despite continued attacks on media freedom in many countries, Africans generally support the media in helping to hold politicians accountable, even if they feel their governments don’t always provide such environments.
“That media control makes it hard for diversity and inclusion to be embraced,” said Jeffrey Moyo, a journalist based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Cultural barriers
“While politicians can play a critical role in influencing media diversity, they can help use the very same media to promote cultural diversity for equitable society,” Levi Manda, a media trainer, told Media Diversity Institute.
Manda said different cultural, ethnic, and social groups across various media platforms should be represented as it allows individuals with different backgrounds to see themselves reflected in news and characters which can lead to greater market appeal.
The study Cultural Diversity in Media: Promoting Inclusivity and Representation reveals that the media serves as a powerful tool for shaping perceptions, influencing public opinion, and fostering cultural exchange. It points out that cultural diversity in media lies in its ability to reflect the richness of human experience and to promote understanding among diverse audiences.
“It is good to have a diverse culture within the media industry,” said Eldson Chagara, a Malawian media trainer and photojournalist.
“Press freedom should accommodate free speech. Culture should not be a barrier, and people should be able to express themselves despite cultural identities or political affiliation,” said Chagara.
That diverse storytelling, said Chagara, is important because it can help promote understanding and inclusivity.
Breaking down barriers
There are limitations in telling stories about gender, the LGBTQ+ community and people living with disabilities. Women holding positions of influence within the media are few, a reflection of how media coverage is perceived.
Ntonya believes breaking down barriers and reform would lead to more stories of minority groups such as children and those with disabilities.
According to the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), consideration of women and issues relating to women in building content strategy, audience engagement, revenue management or product design “are just some of the ways media can commit to gender equality and lead an organisational push that goes beyond International Women’s Day”.
MDIF points out that inclusivity within organisational structure can boost innovation and team performance as well as improve decision-making and employee satisfaction.
“Within the media industry, diversity holds even more promise for performance and operations. Balanced newsrooms can help build audience trust and improve the journalistic product by making it more inclusive,” it says.
However, the outlook for gender equality in Africa is challenging. While some regions are seeing improvements in equality in newsrooms, Africa is an exception. According to the Global Media Monitoring Project, the most unequal newsrooms are African with just 20 per cent of stories by women. The number of women reporters has declined in the past decade from a peak of 35 per cent in 2015 to 29 per cent in 2025.
The way forward
The arrests and jailing of journalists by the State instill a sense of fear which creates barriers for diversity and inclusion in storytelling. Pushing women’s voices away from the media further hinders efforts to achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“We need to change some of the laws that hinder media progress within our countries. Cultural beliefs that women are second class citizens must not be entertained. We need an inclusive culture where women, people with disabilities and the LGBT+ community members can feel part of society through media reporting but it also requires mindset change,” said Ntonya.
“Structural reforms are essential to remove systemic barriers that marginalise underrepresented groups, including women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ professionals, and persons with disabilities,” concludes Rahul Khadia in his research published in December 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Media Diversity Institute. Any questions or comments should be addressed to the editor at [email protected] of the Media Diversity Institute (MDI).
