Special:EED MENA media partners discuss challenges faced and make five recommendations

In April, EED brought 21 media partners from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to Brussels for important discussions on the challenges faced by media organisations in the region.

The partners discussed the important counterbalance that independent media offer locally and regionally, as civic space and freedom of information shrink across the MENA region and mainstream media prioritise official narratives or business interests. This is crucial at a time when misinformation and misleading narratives are rife.

Challenges have escalated since war in Gaza

Partners noted that media actors in the region have long faced significant political, legal, and financial challenges. However, the war in Gaza has exacerbated these pressures, impacting the operations of media outlets throughout the region and forcing them to adapt and expand their editorial line.

Journalists covering the war from the frontlines face increased risks and responsibilities as they report on the reality of this war to the outside world. By the end of 2024, an estimated 141 media workers were killed since October 2023,¹ most of them Palestinian journalists.

Media outlets dedicate considerable time and resources to fact-checking and debunking unverified news due to the deluge of disinformation. There has been a sharp increase in online censoring of Palestinian content. EED’s partners reported that several of their websites have been hacked and their social media accounts shadow banned.

Challenges that existed prior to the war, such as political persecution, remain pressing issues. Journalists are often the butt of attacks and intimidation tactics that force them to self-censor their reporting. Partners also pointed to the growing trend of repressive legal frameworks that restrict journalistic freedom of expression.

1 Accessed at: https://cpj.org/full-coverage-israel-gaza-war

There needs to be a greater focus on longer-term and core funding

Financial sustainability

Financial sustainability continues to be a major concern throughout the region, as independent media outlets compete for limited resources. Most mainstream media are either state-sponsored or business-affiliated, and this has resulted in a proliferation of polarising and misleading narratives. Partners argued that this situation undermines the integrity of journalism and makes it even more difficult for independent outlets to survive.

The journalists made five key recommendations to policy makers:

Scale up support: There needs to be a greater focus on longer-term and core funding, given the important role played by independent media outlets in supporting democracy. There should be realistic expectations about the self-sustainability of independent media outlets. Prioritisation of and investment in organisational sustainability, both in terms of their structural setup and editorial lines, requires time, human resources, and allocated funding.

Demand-driven not donor-driven: Donors need to be receptive to the diverse needs of the various media actors and the different contexts in which they operate. Media actors should be viewed as equal partners in strengthening independent journalism and press freedom. Hyperlocal content, which can foster trust in media among local communities and counter disinformation, should be a particular focus.

Broaden evaluation criteria: Donors should broaden evaluation criteria to prioritise qualitative indicators rather than just quantitative metrics. Indicators such as internal journalistic skill development, editorial quality, depth of investigative reporting, rigour of fact-checking procedures, and diversity of perspectives offer a more detailed image of a media organisation’s impact and better demonstrate the role of journalism in educating the public, holding the authorities accountable, and fostering democratic discourse.

Ensure international solidarity and use diplomatic influence to support journalists: This has proven to be an important form of protection to journalists, especially in repressive environments and during conflicts. It must also be recognised that in some highly repressive environments, partners might not wish to communicate their funding sources to the broader public, given the security risks associated with such disclosure.

Support is a political rather than a technical activity: Support should be extended to media outlets that represent diverse voices, provided they uphold democratic values, thereby fostering pluralism and ensuring that a wide range of voices and opinions are heard in the media landscape.