A severe funding crisis is crippling community media across South Africa, jeopardizing their vital role in informing, educating, and giving a voice to local and underrepresented communities, industry figures have revealed.
These local platforms, celebrated for their focus on hyper-local issues and cultural diversity, are struggling to survive. The core of the problem is a critical lack of sustainable revenue, forcing many newspapers to close their doors and radio stations to fight for their financial survival.
“We still are in some ways underfunded,” explained one representative, highlighting the constant battle for financial fairness. “Even though community media does have the ability to… give your rate cards to sustain yourself, we still have to negotiate… with those who’ve got the bigger financial muscle.”
The situation is particularly dire for community print media, which relies heavily on advertising revenue. “Presently, most of our print… community newspapers are having it very tough. Some they don’t even print, some are closed,” said a publisher who started in 2006. “Most of the newspapers that started during that year have closed now.”
The financial strain has a direct human cost. Outlets are “struggling to pay rents [and] struggling to pay basic services like electricity,” making it impossible to hire new talent. One publisher made a passionate plea, envisioning a scenario where sustained funding could allow 50 community media houses to employ five graduates each per year, creating 250 jobs annually.
A significant point of contention is the expectation from government institutions and larger organizations for free services. Media owners report that municipalities and others often demand free interviews, promotions, and announcements, claiming it is “in the interest of the community,” while ignoring the operational costs involved.
“They forget that community radio stations… you’ve got operation cost, you need to pay the staff, you need to pay… the equipment,” one manager stated.
Amid these challenges, there is a glimmer of hope. The community media sector is looking towards the forthcoming M20 summit, hosted by the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and Media Monitoring Africa. The industry hopes the summit, which will feature local and international experts, will provide concrete solutions to address the systemic funding challenges and secure the future of this essential part of South Africa’s media landscape.