91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

The proliferation of digital platforms has transformed the media landscape, threatening the viability of legacy media. Like many African countries, Malawi faces a sharp decline in traditional media viewership and readership due to shifting audience consumption habits. As consumers migrate to online platforms, digital platforms increasingly attract a larger share of advertising revenue.

The migration of advertising revenue to digital platforms, has created a precarious financial situation for many legacy media outlets. To survive, they must adapt, innovate content delivery, and develop sustainable business models in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Media stakeholders highlighted challenges to media viability during a one-day round table discussion at Mtolankhani House in Lilongwe, Malawi. Organised by the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa in collaboration with the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the UNESCO National Commission for Malawi, the event brought together key partners and participants who included Ms. Gørild Mathisen, Policy Director at NORAD, and Mr. Naoki Goto, Partnerships Specialist from UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Presenting the , and the , Dr. Tabani Moyo, MISA Regional Director, highlighted the intersection of  gender equality and technology and their impact on free speech and media viability in the region. 

Across Lilongwe, the Times Media Group stands with pride behind its flagship publication, the Daily Times- Malawi’s oldest newspaper and one of the longest running in the region. Founded in 1895, the Daily Times has endured for more than 130 years. However, the rise of digital threats has not spared the Daily Times.

Media stakeholders in Malawi acknowledged and thanked Sweden, Norway and other UNESCO member states for their support in addressing media viability challenges through evidence-based advocacy. 

Through the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) and UNESCO’s international Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), media stakeholders in Malawi and Southern Africa receive support for  ground-breaking studies that provide crucial research data, stimulating debate, - including with policy makers - on media viability challenges.

Support from Norway and Sweden is helping to address funding, technical and policy limitations in Southern Africa, which contribute to the lack of reliable and comprehensive data for evidence-based advocacy on freedom of expression. 

This support is strengthening the capacity of media stakeholders in Southern Africa by developing technical expertise in conducting research and studies. This, in turn, contributes to effective policies and interventions that address key issues affecting the media in the region. Norway and Sweden support the media in Southern Africa through the UNESCO IPDC and MDP Programmes. 

The International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) is the only multilateral forum in the UN system that brings the international community together to support media development. The Programme supports media projects aimed at cultivating a healthy environment for the growth of free and pluralistic media. The Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) enhances UNESCO’s work at a global, regional, and national levels by directing funds to emerging priorities and critical  needs in support of freedom of expression, media development, and media and information literacy.