Media Institute of Southern Africa

Description

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) advocates for media freedom and freedom of expression across southern Africa. It grew out of a meeting of media practitioners in Botswana in December 1989 to discuss “The Right to Inform and be Informed”. It was launched in September 1992, following the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Media in Africa, which named a free, independent and pluralistic press essential for democracy and development. MISA was mandated to promote these principles across the Southern African Development Community region.

The MISA Education and Production Trust was registered on 12 October 1994 in Windhoek, Namibia. MISA is a membership-based organisation and social movement operating as a regional programme, with national chapters forming its membership in 11 southern African countries. Each chapter is registered as an autonomous NGO or Trust under the laws of its own country. Its members are individuals and institutions promoting freedom of expression and access to information.

Governance is decentralised, with a Regional Secretariat supported by national chapter management structures. Elected representatives form national and regional governance bodies. Its mission is to achieve media freedom and free expression for all as part of strengthening democracy in southern Africa. It works toward a media environment that is vibrant, professional, independent, pluralistic and sustainable, and that allows people to access information and express themselves freely.

Its work has grown to reach globally, particularly through a media violations monitoring programme. This work addresses media freedom monitoring, media law reform, media freedom and independence, digital rights, access to information, and media and elections. MISA joined the International Freedom of Expression eXchange network in 1994.

It has since co-hosted anniversary conferences of the Windhoek Declaration. It has lobbied bodies such as the Pan African Parliament and UNESCO. In 2015, UNESCO adopted 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.