Mozambique Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
April 24, 2013
About the MSI
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country's media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and began studying Africa in 2006.
MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa
Download Complete Mozambique Chapter (PDF): 2012 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006/7
MSI Mozambique – 2012 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 2.37
Between 2011 and 2012, the political, social, and media environment was mostly stable in Mozambique. Aside from sporadic demonstrations from former soldiers who fought in the war of independence, maintenance of the status quo prevailed. This is also true with regard to the media. Despite the broad expansion of television stations, radio remains the dominant form of media in Mozambique, with Radio Mozambique retaining its preeminent status.
Despite this stability, the panelists continue to point to a lack of training in the journalism sector, from journalists and editors, to media managers and government regulators. There is significant concern not only about the quality of the end products, but also about the quality of reporting that goes into the news, salary, safety, and support that journalists and companies receive.
There has also been some regression due to political interference and censorship, particularly with regard to district authorities in relation to community media. In 2011, this also affected the media more widely due to the deplorable performance of Edson Macuácuà, the former secretary for mobilization and propaganda of the governing Mozambique Liberation Front (known by its Portuguese acronym, FRELIMO). Macuácuà’s repeated partisan interference through editorial directives, the confiscation of the opposition-supported Jornal O Pais, and the suspension of a popular TV Mozambique (TVM) program drew the ire of both journalists and politicians and led to his dismissal. This series of events demonstrated the willingness of officials to act capriciously against media outlets, but also the resilience of a society willing to challenge such behavior.
The panelists for the MSI observed that the basic legal framework that exists in Mozambique is not enough to ensure media freedom, as there are gaps in terms of regulations and regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, as evidenced by the lack of progress on the Press Law, the Broadcasting and Media Law, or the Access to Information Act, there is little political willingness to pursue even short-term solutions for the legal and regulatory issues that the media do face.
