Global tech giants weaken viability of traditional media -NIMCA

MOMBASA, Kenya: The viability of traditional media across Africa is under severe threat due to dominance of global technology giants like Google, YouTube, and Instagram.

The Chairman of the Network of Independent Media Councils of Africa (NIMCA) who is also the Media Council of Tanzania, Executive Secretary, Ernest Sungura, said during his remarks, at the ongoing 36th Annual Africa Public Relations Conference (APRA 2025), in Mombasa, Kenya.

He underscored one of the most pressing challenges confronting Africa’s media landscape, calling for a fundamental rethink of strategies to ensure its survival and relevance in the digital age.

Sungura pointed to a major shift in advertising, saying revenue that once supported traditional media has moved to tech giants. He warned this trend poses “a real and growing threat to journalism in Africa.”

He emphasized the importance of transforming Africa through safe and responsible digital communication, with a strong focus on combating misinformation and disinformation, and ensuring digital platform accountability to uphold ethical media practices and the integrity of public information.

The APRA 2025 conference, co-organized by the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), convened a diverse group of communication and media professionals, government officials, and digital platform leaders from across the continent and beyond.

Sungura praised the event as a valuable platform for mutual learning and sharing of experiences on how media organizations can adapt and reposition themselves in today’s digital era.

Reflecting on the evolving media landscape, Sungura acknowledged the historical resilience of media forms, noting that there was a time when newspapers were feared to be dying, but then came radio. After radio, television.

“We are in the age of digital platforms, and although these media co-exist today, they continue to face new challenges” He explained.

He further warned of the impending impact of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), predicting the birth of entirely new platforms that could surpass the current digital technologies.

Sungura’s intervention serves as a pressing call to action for African media institutions to innovate and adapt their business models, emphasizing the urgent need to rethink their positioning within a global digital landscape increasingly dominated by tech giants. End.