Media Sustainability Index (MSI) - Africa

IREX’s Media Sustainability Index (MSI) provides in-depth analyses of the conditions for independent media in 80 countries across the world.

MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa

Overview of MSI Africa

The fourth annual study by the Media Sustainability Index (MSI) of African countries expanded slightly in 2010, growing from 40 to 41 countries with the first inclusion of Angola. The picture of the Angolan media sector painted by the panelists there stands in stark contrast to the oil wealth generated by the country. Years after the loosening of the media environment from the grip of a Marxist government, the government has licensed only a handful of private broadcasters and a wide gap exists between constitutional guarantees of media freedom and the day-to-day reality faced by working media professionals. Self-censorship prevails in newsrooms. Like so many of its neighbors, Angola’s non-state media outlets suffer from anemic revenue streams, with a shallow advertising market and no tradition of market research. Also like many of its neighbors, Objective 5, supporting institutions, drew the highest scores from panelists, even if not quite breaking out of the “unsustainable, mixed system” score category.

MSI Africa Chapters

Download Full Version of 2010 MSI Africa (PDF)

MSI Africa Data

Of the 40 countries studied last year, 26 moved up or down by less than a tenth of a point. The continental average remained 1.89, although Objective 2, professional journalism, edged up to 1.84 from 1.81 while Objective 4, business management, slid to 1.64 from 1.67.

MSI Africa 2010 Score Compilation

How Does IREX Define and Measure Sustainability?

By “sustainability” IREX refers to the ability of media to play its vital role as the “fourth estate.” How sustainable is a media sector in the context of providing the public with useful, timely, and objective information? How well does it serve as a facilitator of public discussion? To measure this, the MSI assesses five “objectives” that shape a media system: freedom of speech, professional journalism, plurality of news, business management, and supporting institutions. Read the complete MSI Methodology for more information on how this is accomplished.

Contact Us / Request a Hard Copy

For more information or to request a hard copy, email msi@irex.org. Please provide name, full mailing address, region(s), MSI publication year, and quantity.
Download PDF Versions
2010: Cover | Pub Info & TOC | Intro & Executive Summary | Full Version
2009: Cover | Pub Info & TOC | Intro & Executive Summary | Full Version

2008: Cover | Pub Info & TOC | Intro & Executive Summary | Full Version
2006/07: Cover | Pub Info & TOC | Intro & Executive Summary | All Chapters
Acknowledgement

This publication was made possible through support provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Cooperative Agreement No. #DFD-A-00-05-00243 (MSI-MENA) via a Task Order by the Academy for Educational Development.