Sungura Leads as First Chair of Africa’s United Media Councils (NIMCA)

Cape Town, South Africa: In a landmark development for African media, the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), steered by the dynamic Executive Secretary Ernest Sungura, has been appointed as the inaugural chair of the newly minted Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA). This key appointment comes hot on the heels of Sungura’s transformative first 100 days in office.

NIMCA was officially launched on Thursday, 16 May 2024, at the inaugural meeting of African Media Councils, hosted by the South African Press Council in Cape Town. The MCT, also at the helm of the East Africa Press Councils (EAPC), will guide NIMCA alongside representatives from the meeting’s host, Latiefa Mobara of the Press Council of South Africa; George Sarpong of the National Media Commission in Ghana, representing West Africa; and Kennedy Mambwe of the Media Self-Regulatory Council of Zambia, representing Southern Africa. Together, they will form NIMCA’s inaugural executive board, laying the foundation for the organization.

Sungura, NIMCA’s first chair, expressed his excitement for this new role, stating, “This is a pivotal day for our media sector and ecosystem. Our media councils have long operated in silos, with limited engagement or information sharing. NIMCA marks the dawn of a new era, fostering common approaches, deepening media freedom, bolstering accountability systems, and championing credible, sustainable journalism across our continent.”

The Cape Town meeting saw a diverse range of participants from independent media regulatory bodies, both statutory and non-statutory. Delegates shared their best practices and challenges about press freedom, and deliberated on fostering ethical journalism in an environment where the media and its regulatory bodies grapple with funding and sustainability crises.

NIMCA invites independent media regulators from other African countries to join the organization, championing self-regulation as the bedrock of a free, professional, and credible media in an evolving communications landscape. This is especially crucial in a world where social media is often implicated in the spread of unethical and low-quality content.

The councils urged journalists, photographers, and other media practitioners to uphold the basic tenets of journalism to ward off state regulation and punitive measures by those in power. They acknowledged the need to explore new financial support models for the media to promote, support, and sustain journalism and the related independent self-regulation mechanisms in the industry.

In a rapidly evolving digital environment, the media regulatory bodies highlighted the need for guidance on how media should navigate ethical issues related to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), convergence, and the need for innovative journalism curricula and training models.

Among other responsibilities, MCT will host the 2025 NIMCA meeting, with backing from UNESCO and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, and will also serve as the initial secretariat for NIMCA. This signifies a significant stride towards a freer, more professional, and credible media landscape across Africa.

This is a significant step for MCT in the journey towards ensuring a freer, professional, and credible media landscape across Africa.