Somalia Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
August 10, 2010
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.
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Download Complete Somalia Chapter (PDF): 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006/7
MSI Somalia - 2010 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 1.25
Since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, the country has been governed by a patchwork of regional authorities, Islamist rebels groups, and clans. In 2004, the second and current interim government, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), was formed and in 2009 Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected president. Today, the TFG’s authority is limited to parts of the capital Mogadishu and enclaves across the country. Meanwhile the anti-TFG Islamist group Al Shabaab controls a large swathe of southern and central Somalia, and the Puntland regional government has essentially autonomous authority over much of the north.
In this fluid and often explosive environment, journalists and media organizations face immense challenges. In 2010, Somalia remained one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Media outlets also came under pressure from the government and clans when they attempted to report on sensitive issues including the country’s ongoing conflict. In Puntland, for example, the regional government instituted an across-the-board ban on airing interviews with rebels and imprisoned journalists who violated the edict.
Radio dominates the Somali media sector, although print publications and a handful of broadcast television stations exist. One of the MSI panelists described the media environment as being in a constant state of “anarchy.” Radio stations open and then suddenly disappear; journalists enter the profession with virtually no experience or training only to exit months later; and licensing is an informal process in much of the country. Moreover, outlets lack the structure to effectively generate revenue and instead rely on financing from powerful and often secret backers.
Despite dangerous working conditions and meager pay, many brave Somali media professionals carry on. Against a generally dour backdrop, the number of radio stations continued to increase, Mogadishu University announced plans to open a journalism degree program, and international, Somali-language radio broadcast by the BBC and Voice of America remained accessible, offering some hope for the future.
Due to the security situation in Somalia, a panel discussion was not held this year. This report reflects research and discussions with those knowledgeable of the situation in Somalia.
