Media reform, advocacy, what is at stake in Botswana

I would like to begin by thanking Spencer Mogapi for raising concerns about the state of the media in Botswana. His intervention, published in Mmegi of 16 January 2025 under the headline ‘The Media should demonstrate it knows what is at stake’, speaks to anxieties many journalists quietly share. He argues that Botswana is undergoing a tumultuous transformation, one marked by uncertainty, and that the media’s response to this moment has lacked clarity. That is a fair concern, and it deserves engagement rather than dismissal.

Where I part ways with Mogapi, however, is not on whether the media faces an existential moment. It certainly does, but we part on his reading of how media institutions, particularly MISA Botswana and Botswana Editors Forum (BEF), have responded to it. His argument suggests detachment, acquiescence, and missed opportunities. The record, when examined closely, tells a different story.