The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) launched its Survey on the working conditions of journalists in Africa on 25 October in the Ethiopia Capital, Addis Ababa. Drawing responses from 1,586 journalists in 45 countries across the continent’s five regions, the survey report revealed how poverty wages, insecure employment and threats combine to weaken journalism and restricts the public’s access to information and their right to know.
The report entitled “Journalism Under Siege: Abysmal Working Conditions and the Decline of Media Freedom in Africa” is the first journalist-led continental report to bring together evidence on journalists’ working conditions, labour rights, safety and media freedom. It is based on a survey conducted by FAJ with support from UNESCO’s Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists.
“The findings of this report expose a profession in deep crisis. Journalists are expected to inform the public while struggling to survive. These are not separate problems: poverty, insecure work and threats are pushing journalism towards silence. When journalists cannot earn a living, work safely or report freely, media freedom exists only on paper, and the public is denied the information it needs.
According to the report, 61% of respondents said their income from journalism does not meet their basic living needs, while only 4% said their salaries adequately cover essential costs. Fifty-eight percent reported delayed salaries, 62% worked without written contracts and 71% lacked social protection. Freelance journalists made up 29% of respondents, while contributors and stringers accounted for a further 18%. More than half of those surveyed, 53%, were aged between 18 and 34.
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The report also documents the threats journalists face. Sixty-five percent had experienced threats or intimidation linked to their work in the past three years. Only 17% always feel safe reporting, while 55% rarely or never felt safe. It also notes that at least 18 journalists and media workers were killed in Africa in 2025 in connection with their work, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
“The pressure on journalism is not confined to physical attacks. It also comes through legal intimidation, censorship and barriers to information. When journalists are punished, threatened or pushed out of work for reporting in the public interest, the whole of society loses. Governments and media organizations must protect journalists’ safety, independence and right to work” said FAJ President, Omar Faruk Osman.
The findings show how these pressures affect editorial decisions. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they practised self-censorship frequently or occasionally, and 69% said threats had led them to avoid certain stories. Respondents identified political interference (29%), violence against journalists (22%) and restrictive laws (18%) as the most critical threats to media freedom. Among the violations they had experienced, respondents reported political interference (68%), barriers to accessing information (61%), censorship (57%), legal intimidation (49%) and internet shutdowns affecting reporting (23%). Only 6% described media freedom in their country as “very free”, while 65% said it was restricted or highly restricted.
Digital threats also add to these pressures. Thirty-six percent of respondents had experienced online harassment linked to their journalism work, 26% digital surveillance, 24% experienced sexual abuse online and 21% experienced hacking attempts. Yet 63% had received no digital safety training. More than three-quarters of respondents, 76%, said women journalists face additional risks, including sexual harassment, online gender-based violence, unequal pay, workplace discrimination, exclusion from leadership and intimidation connected to political or investigative reporting.
The findings also revealed a serious strain on journalists’ wellbeing and the future of the profession. Financial insecurity was the most commonly reported source of stress (38%), followed by fear of attacks (24%). Seventy-two percent said their workplaces provided no mental health or counselling support, 44% reported frequent burnout and 47% had considered leaving journalism. The report warns that losing journalists, including younger professionals, could further weaken investigative reporting, public accountability and access to reliable information.
FAJ emphasized that the findings call for urgent and concrete actions from governments, media employers and relevant institutions. The report calls for fair wages, written contracts, social protection and safe workplaces; prompt investigations into attacks and an end to impunity; and reform of laws used to intimidate or criminalize journalists. It also urges stronger protection mechanisms, respect for editorial independence, collective bargaining and social dialogue, digital safety support and specific measures to protect women journalists.
