Publishers head to the US

Apr 17, 2024 - 14:34

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Community newspaper leaders and independent publishers head to the US to advance their publishing skills

Community media contributes to peoples’ empowerment to improve their social and economic conditions, fight against discrimination and racism, become more effectively involved in the democratic development of their community and country and provide an alternative to mainstream commercial content.

Lately the sector is struggling to sustain itself with several community media establishments being closed due to lack of funds.

A diverse group of 10 community media publishers embarked on a 3-week study visit in Ohio to develop their thinking on the thorny issue of media sustainability in the digital environment. This follows a successful virtual engagement between the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP) and US Embassy South African delegation held in May. AIP is working with one of the world’s leading academic institutions focused on local media, the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) within the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA.

The KwaZulu Natal based community media print publishers who are also affiliates to the AIP, are amongst those who were selected to be part of the visit after their successful application. AIP National Chairperson and iNtuthuko Newspaper publisher and editor, Mbali Dhlomo, and AIP Member and Umbele editor, Silindile Khanyile are amongst those who were selected.

Speaking on the initiative, Khanyile said the AIP US engagement is aimed at boosting sustainability efforts of independent publishers in the community media sector and they are excited about learning from US publishers and networking. “We are hoping to learn new ideas that we can use to grow and sustain our company, especially the publications. The programme started this week and we have literally been in class for one,” said Khanyile. She said that attendees, including her organisation, are looking for sustainable business models especially after the bloodbath that the industry has experienced in the past two decades which was exacerbated by COVID.

Slindile Khanyile, Editor of Umbele Business Publication at the podcast studio at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in Ohio University.
Credit: Christopher Mcinga

Mbali Dhlomo, AIP National Chairperson and Intuthuko Newspaper Publisher

Dlomo also added that the contribution AIP has made in the South African media landscape is immeasurable. She said she sees value in this initiative as it provides information for publishers and plays a huge role in empowering independent publishers, including lobbying on behalf of publishers in the country. “At the moment we are in the US because of relations that the AIP has formed with the US Embassy through one of the publishers in the Western Cape who indicated this opportunity. We applied and we were shortlisted then came to share ideas.”

Dlomo also highlighted that the study trip to Ohio will provide insight into how first world nations like the US are coping when it comes to the community media landscape. “Within 2 days of being here, we’ve noted that their community newspapers are far more advanced, and we are here to feed off that knowledge. Community newspapers play a huge role in our communities because they have a far greater reach than mainstream or mass media and the community benefits from our newspapers because they get information,” added Dlomo. She said that they would have never received opportunities like the initiative had it not been for the lobbying of the AIP.

The knowledge gathered in Ohio at the end of the three weeks is expected to impact community media positively with new strategies to sustain the dwindling sector in South Africa.