Milne, C., Rau, A., Du Toit, P., Mdlongwa, F. (2006). Key Editorial and Business Strategies: A case study of six independent community newspapers.

This in-depth qualitative study � funded by the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) -- explores six small, successful and independent community newspapers in South Africa: KZN Community Newspaper; Southern and Soweto Globe; North Coast Courier; Eastern Free State Issue;  Ikhwezi News;  and the Limpopo Mirror.

The research probes the many challenges that owner-managers face and publicises a broad range of key business and editorial strategies they use to navigate their publications to success.

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Milne, C., Du Toit, P., Rau, A., Mdlongwa, F. (2006). Media Management Training Needs Assessment within the SADC Region: A Qualitative Study.

Based on the assumption that good media management will lead to enhanced media freedom, the SPI � funded by the Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NIZA) - conducted this investigation into priority training needs for media management, as identified by media leaders and managers across eight countries in the SADC region -- Botswana, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

The research serves to inform the training offerings of the SPI and other media training institutions in the region.

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 Available on this website in early 2008

�LEADERSHIP solutions: for AFRICAn media LEADERS by AFRICAN media LEADERS�

In the SADC region, the capacity to train and groom promising leadership and management candidates is limited.  One way to address this is for experienced leaders to pool and share their knowledge.  To this end the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership (SPI) and the Southern African Institute for Media Entrepreneurship Development (SAIMED) co-hosted a Leadership Lekgotla -- a space where leaders meet to share experiences, discuss important issues and gather solutions. 

The three-day event -- funded by the Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NIZA) -- was held in Johannesburg in August 2007. Twenty delegates from print and radio sectors in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe explored themes such as leadership styles, managing people, editorial ethics and problems they encounter and how they resolve them. 

Information gathered from focus groups, two-person teams, storytelling, brainstorming, key speakers and plenary sessions will be captured in a book which will be made available throughout the region. The aim is to draw on the collective experiences of people with a proven track record in media leadership, and assemble a range of principles, ideas, techniques and strategies to guide, assist and, importantly, inspire Africa�s current and budding media leaders.

 Available on this website in early 2008

IREX MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX (MSI)

An initiative of the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), the Media Sustainability Index will provide research-based information on the state of the media throughout the African continent.  

Leading media specialists in each country are recruited to rate the strength and sustainability of media in their countries according to multiple indicators within five broad objectives. These objectives measure the degree of free speech protection; professional journalism; plurality of news sources; business management; and supporting institutions.  The indicators and objectives reflect criteria widely accepted as constituting a healthy, effective, economically sound and independent media industry.

The SPI�s contribution to this valuable project was to conduct the research in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.