Government’s drastic cut in advertising is affecting the media sector in a negative way. Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) National Director Buyani Zongwani warned that the effects of the advertising ban will have long term effects on the industry. In the midst of growing concern over the lack of government advertising in the private media, Botswana Government boasts that it spent P4.3 million on advertising in private local newspapers in the previous financial year, while MISA argues that government advertising in private media is on the decline.
Responding to a question in Parliament this week Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr. Phillip Makgalemele stated that government spent P4, 388, 698 on advertising in private local newspapers during the 2014/15 financial year. Molale went on to list 16 newspapers along with the advertising spend for each in descending order starting with Mmegi at the top of the pile with P926, 861 and Sunday Standard at the bottom with P10, 662.
Zongwani noted that his organisation has indeed seen a significant reduction in government advertising in private newspapers since December last year, acknowledging that government had announced that it would be rationing its spending on advertising.
“What we see from our own review of newspapers is that the bulk of government adverts appear in the Daily News while most private newspapers are becoming thinner due to the lack of adverts,” says Zongwani. “Private newspapers have called us to express concern at the low amount of advertising support they are receiving from government.”
The MISA Botswana Director explains that leaders of the private media sector met earlier this year and decided to use non-combative measures to try and confront the problem. Specifically, they decided they would consult with Government to support the private media as it is an employer of thousands of people and the taxpayers’ money used on advertising sustains the sector.
Responding to the question of whether any newspapers have been blacklisted, Makgalemele simply stated that government is not blacklisting any newspaper and that the criteria used to select newspapers for advertising by Government has been determined by individual Ministries on a case by case basis. The drastic reduction has affected specifically The Sunday Standard, which has been seen as too critical of government. The broadsheet earned advertising worth P10 662, while Mmegi topped the list with P926 861 revenue.
For his part, Zongwani said that his organisation has heard talk of some newspapers being favoured over others but they have decided as the media fraternity not to allow themselves to be divided, opting instead to confront the problem collectively. Interestingly, the MISA Director notes that a request for a meeting with Minister Molale for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration to discuss the same issue was turned down. “I know there are people who believe we should take this matter to court but we decided that we should go a different route because we do believe that consultation can produce the desired results,” says Zongwani, adding that as MISA and the private media sector continue to monitor the situation they will meet again to decide on what action can be taken.