Namibia Community Media

Fred J. Mwilima, PhDDepartment of

Information and Communication StudiesUniversity of Namibia

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

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)

Introduction

• Dailies: – Algemeine Zeitung (DHM)– New Era (Government)– Die Republikein (DMH)– The Namibian (Independent)

• Weeklies: – Informante– The Windhoek Observer

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.

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.

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.

Media Landscape

• These media dominate landscape– The Algemeine Zeitung– New Era– Die Republikein– The Namibian

– Namibia Economist (weekly)

• All of which are Windhoek based.

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

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

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.

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%

Readership of dailies

Unpublished source

Most accessed media

Unpublished source

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

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

I thank you!