Namibia Community Media Fred J. Mwilima, PhD Department of Information and Communication Studies...
Transcript of Namibia Community Media Fred J. Mwilima, PhD Department of Information and Communication Studies...
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Namibia Community Media
Fred J. Mwilima, PhDDepartment of
Information and Communication StudiesUniversity of Namibia
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Population 2.1 millionBlacks 87.5%Women 51%Coloured 6.5%Whites 6%Population in northern regions 60%Poverty among whites 10%Poverty among San Communities 60%Poverty among the blacks (2003) 30%Female headed household (rural) 43%Female headed households (urban) 32%Unmarried women, 15-49 (1992) 51%Married women (1992) 27%Widowed women 7%Women in informal union 15%Adult males to women ratio (rural) 1.2Adult males to women ratio (urban) 1.1Blacks who over the poverty line 55%National unemployment rate 37%Women in formal employment 31%Source: NPC, 2007
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Introduction
• Politically Affiliated media– Times of Namibia (DTA)– Die Republikein (DTA)– Algemeine Zeitung (DTA)– Windhoek Advertiser (DTA)– Namibia Today (SWAPO)
• Government owned:
– The New Era (Government)– NBC TV (Government)– NBC Radio (Government)
• Independent media: – The Namibian (Independent)– Windhoek Observer
(Independent)
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Introduction
• Dailies: – Algemeine Zeitung (DHM)– New Era (Government)– Die Republikein (DMH)– The Namibian (Independent)
• Weeklies: – Informante– The Windhoek Observer
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Introduction• Two-thirds of the population (67%) is rural• The majority relies on subsistence agriculture or
herding.
• Food insecurity for these populations is a major problem, given Namibia’s vast deserts and arid climate.
• The country also has a high unemployment rate, estimated at 37 percent.
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Media Landscape• The landscape of the Namibian media at the
country’s independence on 21 March 1990 provides us with a landmark from which we can assess the progress that has been made so far.
• In 1990, there were 8 newspapers that gave an extra parliamentary voice to the spectrum of political current in the country.
• With only two that were independent, political parties owned the majority of these newspapers.
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Media Landscape
• These newspapers were expected to maintain a lively and constructive debate on national issues, and nurture a democratic culture in Namibian.
• But can they?– Involvement of politicians– Involvement of g & and the government– Monopoly of media by individuals
• May be perceived as a threatand would potentially stifle constructive debate or at worst, muzzle distant and alternative voices.
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Media Landscape
• These media dominate landscape– The Algemeine Zeitung– New Era– Die Republikein– The Namibian
– Namibia Economist (weekly)
• All of which are Windhoek based.
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Community Media• In November 2000, conference on the advancement of community
broadcasting was held.
• Resolution: – The establishment of community radios should be encouraged and
should be participatory, community owned and controlled.
• The conference decided community media should be:
– Sensitive to community needs and aspirations– To become centres of development initiatives for the community – To provide information and feedback to the community it serves– To address community issues such as community for social good
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Community Media• Since the year 2000, things have changed and
currently there are six licensed community media in the country out of which five are Windhoek based. These are:
– Channel 7– Katutura Community Radio (now Base FM)– Live FM– Radio Ecclesia– Unam Radio– WUM Properties
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Diversity• In terms of language diversity much still need to be done to reach those
who are in dire need for these services.
• Of the six radio stations, one of them broadcast in Afrikaans; five in English and one in German.
• In terms of ownership, two of these stations, the Catholic Church and the Media for Christ, are owned by religious establishments.
• Five are broadcasting within the Windhoek area and one in a small town called Rehoboth.
• It is worth noting that two of the stations, Channel 7 and Live FM, simultaneously broadcast in two languages, Afrikaans and Oshiwambo respectively in addition to English.
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Listenership• 90% + population listen to radio. • 68% ages of 16 and lower listen to radio• 98% 50 years and over
• No loyalty to NBC (59%)• 80% followers of commercial stations
• Rural– 67% Radio Energy (private)– NBC 63%
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Readership of dailies
Unpublished source
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Most accessed media
Unpublished source
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Type of media Reach Type of media access
NBC Radio 99% NBC TV (rural) 17%
NBC TV 42% Newspapers (rural)
7.2%
The Namibian Major towns TV (urban)
Republikein Central towns Radio (urban) 84.5%
New Era National Newspapers (urban)
34.6%
Allgemeine Zeitung
Central
Reach
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Challenges• Management
– Unam/UNESCO• Finance
– Income generation• Personnel
– volunteers• Training
– Lack skills• Language
– Managed by youth-lack mastery skills of local languages• Networking/exposure
– Lack networking skills/motivation• Distance
– Sparsely populated
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I thank you!