Media Viability in East Africa - Reports for Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda

"Media organizations operate within political and regulatory frameworks that have significant impact on their organizational viability."

The goal of this set of reports is to provide an overview of the news media landscape and operating environment in three countries in East Africa. In particular, the reports outline the structural and societal conditions that have often led to an unfavourable media viability trend in these countries in the past years. The reports form part of the East Africa Futures project, which works to support media outlets in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in strengthening quality journalism and fostering media innovations that ensure sustainability.

The data collection process for each country was based on the Media Viability Indicators (MVIs) index developed by Deutsch Welle (DW) Akademie, which looks at five dimensions relevant to an independent and sustainable media: economics, politics, content, technology, and community (see Related Summary below for more information). The resulting analyses of media landscapes outlined in each report are structured according to these five dimensions and cover the following:

• Politics - includes an analysis of the state rule of law, freedom of expression, access to information, and legal equality.
• Economics - looks at the state of the national economy, the financial stability and financial independence of news media organisations, competition, audience demand, and quality of journalism.
• Community - includes an analysis of citizen education, social cohesion, trust and credibility, participation, and audience data.
• Technology - covers production and distribution resources, news media organisations' access to digital technology, digital expertise, and citizens' digital rights.
• Content - looks at content quality, journalism expertise, news media ownership, and news media organisations' (NMOs) business structures, competencies, and business expertise.

The following is a brief summary of some of the findings for each country:

Media Viability in East Africa: Kenya - Kenya has a diverse, vibrant media system with a high internet penetration rate, a literate society, and fairly well-trained journalists. However, significant challenges to long-term viability remain. This report indicates that increasing pressure from the private sector and government, changing audience consumption habits, and the need for new monetisation strategies are among the biggest strategic obstacles facing Kenya's NMOs.

Media Viability in East Africa: Tanzania - Politics continues to play a major role in Tanzania’s diverse and vibrant media landscape. There have been increased incidences of the government banning, suspending, or fining news outlets broadcasting content deemed critical of the government. The findings suggest that media capture and the socioeconomic/political conditions in Tanzania influence media content, journalistic quality, and robust public engagement.

Media Viability in East Africa: Uganda - Uganda has diverse legacy media and a growing broadcast and online media space. However, Uganda's NMOs are also likely to face increased obstacles in producing high-quality journalism from external factors such as political, economic, and social conditions in the near term.