Top 3 challenges facing African Journalism in playing its roles

In this thought-provoking conversation, Dapo Olorunyomi — one of Africa’s foremost investigative journalists, mediaprenuer and media rights advocates — unpacks the three most pressing systemic challenges confronting journalism in Africa in performing its role in democracy, situating them within the broader struggle to deepen and defend democracy on the continent. Far beyond newsroom obstacles, this dialogue critically engages the political economy of media and its capacity — or limitations — in shaping democratic accountability, citizen participation, and state transparency. Olorunyomi, who has led groundbreaking investigative reporting and founded Premium Times and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), provides both diagnosis and direction for what is increasingly at stake: the very architecture of African democratic resilience. Core Challenges Explored: 1. Authoritarian Pushback & Shrinking Civic Space African democracies, both electoral and hybrid, are experiencing regression. Journalism faces institutionalized repression, surveillance, and legal warfare, undermining its watchdog function. Olorunyomi addresses how legal instruments (e.g., cybercrime laws) are weaponized to criminalize dissent and erode democratic freedoms. 2. Structural Underfunding & Media Capture A financially unstable press is vulnerable to state and oligarchic influence, distorting editorial independence. The conversation examines how precarious funding models contribute to “soft censorship,” weakening journalism’s role in cultivating informed electorates. Information Disorder in the Digital Age As Africa’s digital media ecosystems expand, misinformation and algorithmic manipulation threaten public trust in journalism. Olorunyomi explores the urgency of media innovation, literacy, and collaborative verification models to preserve journalism as a democratic pillar. Why This Matters: Robust journalism is not ancillary to democracy — it is foundational. In many African states where electoral processes exist without substantive democratic norms, journalism remains one of the last lines of democratic defense. This video invites a deeper interrogation into how media systems can mediate power, foster deliberative citizenship, and resist democratic backsliding in the face of growing illiberalism. Join the Conversation: If you are a journalist, media scholar, policy advocate, or civic actor committed to defending truth and accountability, this discussion offers sharp insight into how journalism can reclaim its democratic mandate in an era of contested facts and fragile freedoms.