People, Power, Truth - Human Rights, Civil Society & the Media in Sub-Saharan Africa

"Journalists alone cannot save journalism, and civil society activists and human rights defenders cannot alone defend civil space."

This anthology was produced as part of the Consortium to Promote Human Rights, Civic Freedoms and Media Development (CHARM) Africa project, which seeks to confront and engage issues related to the shrinking space of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, by strengthening coalition-building between civil society, the media, and human rights defenders in the region.

As explained in the anthology, "A free and vibrant media and civil society are no doubt key agents of democracy. However, the media and rights-based civil society organisations' activities are often the first to be restricted when democracy is under attack. The ability of these organisations to withstand these restrictions and deliver on their respective mandates is therefore vital. This ability is compromised by a number of factors, such as professionalism of the organisations; their sustainability and independence; the availability and diversity of their resources; their access to security; the reliability of their communication; their access to community narratives; the strength of their networks; the efficacy of their structure; the support they enjoy and the capacity they have for collaboration and joint action."

As a response to these needs, CIVICUS initiated the CHARM project in December 2019. Funded by the Swedish Development Cooperation (Sida), the project is being designed and implemented by a consortium of six regional partners: CIVICUS, Civil Rights Defenders, Defend Defenders, Fojo Media Institute, Hub Afrique, and Wits Journalism - all committed to working together towards the realisation of a free and vibrant media and civil society in sub-Saharan Africa.

The anthology brings together the thoughts of different thinkers in the media space, civil organisations, and human rights activists and seeks to showcase good practices and ideas on coalition building. It is intended to serve "to stimulate thoughts and debate and lead to discussions and deliberation between civil society activists, media practitioners, private sector and government representatives on how to engage in coalitions, jointly building democratic and sustainable structures for the well-being of our societies."

The anthology includes the following contributions:

• Is it Feasible? The Case for the Coalition of Media and Civil Society in the Fight for Civic Space - Joseph Kabiru (Innovation for Change/Africa Hub) argues that in many historic cases on the African continent, the media and civil society organisations have worked together - with impactful results. He writes that the partnership may be amorphous, but in the future it might define a well-organised and structured coalition, as the two parties are the central pillar of a country's civic space.
• Seeing African Women in Media - Dr. Yemisi Akinbobola (African Women in Media) argues that African women continuously demonstrate an impact and contribution towards peace and development on the continent. They are also invisible, and narratives about conflict in Africa are skewed towards a perspective that Africa and its people lack the agency to successfully silence the guns. She works to highlight these stories and make them visible.
• Should Journalists Do Advocacy? - Murray Hunter (amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism) asks, Is there a role for advocacy work in support of journalism? Should journalists do advocacy? He argues that it is critical that they do, suggesting that it is not only possible to have journalism and advocacy working alongside each other but that this strengthens the end product, as it does in the case of the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism.
• Creativity in the Face of Clampdowns - Samm Farai Monro (Magamba Network) writes that, in Zimbabwe, what he describes as a repressive regime, an ever-imploding economy, and a ruling party that thinks it owns the country leaves a person with no option but to be creative.
• The War Against Misinformation Demands a Group Effort - Retha Langa (Africa Check) talks in this interview about the work of Africa Check in tackling misinformation in sub-Saharan Africa. She explains how the non-profit works to identify public statements, interrogate evidence, and correct misinformation to ensure informed public debate.
• Friends & Partners - Memory Bandera (DefendDefenders) reflects on the importance of the Human Rights Commissions Network (HRCnet) partnerships and its achievements.
• Transforming Traditional Journalism into Sustainable Journalism - Lars Tallert (Fojo Media Institute, Linnaeus University) explores the concept of "sustainable journalism". He argues that a sustainable society requires a journalism that addresses sustainability challenges. Furthermore, he argues that a sustainable future for journalism, as a practice and business, depends on its capability to do precisely that.
• Collaboration, Disruption & Innovation - Tshepo Tshabalala (Journalism and Media Lab (Jamlab), University of the Witwatersrand) describes his work to connect like-minded media innovators, journalists, and social entrepreneurs in order to give them the opportunity to engage with one another on subjects that typically do not get the exposure they deserve.
• Standing Witness to Human Rights Defenders - David Kode (Civicus) argues that in the future, it will be imperative to strengthen coalitions of civil society groups, the media, and human rights defenders to act in solidarity. These coalitions will bring together groups working on environmental, land and indigenous rights, the rights of women, media rights, and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) communities. As these coalitions "stand as their witness", they will amplify the voices of those targeted by the state. It is a critical need, Kode argues, as the world, including Africa, strives for more "open" societies.
• Integrating Journalists into the Human Rights Defenders Agenda - Samwel Mohochi (Defenders Coalition) writes about the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD), which was set up in western Africa and that brought together journalists, activists, and others working in the field of human rights. He argues that it brought significant advantages, particularly in the quality of reporting and the support for journalists.
• Investigative Journalism & Advocacy: Natural Allies? - Anne Koch (Global Investigative Journalism Network, or GIJN) discusses the relationship between the media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). She argues that this relationship should be discussed more widely and made more transparent, and that with careful calibration, there is greater room for cooperation - without a concomitant loss of independence or integrity.
• The Most Meaningful Impact is Through Coalition Mark Lee Hunter and Anton Harber, two experts on media and how it intersects with civil society, sit down for a fireside chat to exchange thoughts, theories and ideas. They share insights into the role of the media, the role of civil society, and the role of social justice organisations - and into how, when cooperating in a transparent manner, they can have meaningful impact.
• A Unique Model of Public Interest Health Journalism - Marcus Low (Spotlight) argues that it is possible for a media service to align closely with advocacy organisations, as Spotlight does, and that it can lead to demonstrable benefits and quality improvements while maintaining journalism principles and integrity.