Advocacy for Press Freedom

A healthy society is a free thinking community and that expresses itself freely. Freedom of expression and of thought are closely interlinked with press freedom because a thinking society needs journalists that are also free to think, free to independently investigate social concerns and be free to publish findings without fear, or favour, irrespective of who is concerned.

It is not enough that civil society mandates journalists to consistently find issues for public discussion. Society must also provide and protect an ecosystem within which journalists can work freely to produce information and refine it into the knowledge that citizens can use to influence the systems that manage their community.

In evolving democracies, power authorities usually have a low understanding and appreciation of the importance of press freedom. This presents a challenge to institutions such as the Editors Forum to educate key stakeholders; some of whom believe that Press Freedom is a random notion and not aware that it is a universally respected value. Benchmarks by such influential organisations as Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders are used to references the country's posture towards human rights and influence investor perceptions of global investment flows.

No country is an island

In the global community context, no man can be an island. Countries linked through the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the African Union and SADC are subject to a common benchmark against which their compliance with human rights normative standards is measured. Even though press freedom is one of the key dimensions of the country's human rights compliance,

As much as the Forum annually highlights the importance of press freedom and invites policy makers, civl society and other strands of society to join in solidarity, a poor level of appreciation at policy-making level draws negative global perceptions that highlight the Kingdom's democratic deficits as measured against universal norms, and contribute to a negative country reputation.

The quality of Press Freedom is regularly measured and benchmarked in annual indexes compiled by international organizations such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) who assess it against political, legal, economic, and social indicators.

Key Parts of the Press Freedom Environment

• Legal Support: Laws protect free speech, keep sources safe, and allow access to public records.
• Safety from Violence: Journalists can work without facing physical attacks, online threats, or wrongful arrests.
• Economic Health: Media outlets need fair funding and stable markets to survive without relying on corrupt sponsors.
• Political Independence: Governments do not interfere in daily reporting or block independent news sites

By global standards, perceptions of Eswatini press freedom is below average quality. In the past 20 years years, RSF tracking shows the country press freedom index gradually improving though remaining in the dark side. The World World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders ranks press freedom of 180 countries considers a score above 85 out of 100 points as "Good".

Index Score Categories

• Good: >85 to 100 points (Strongest environment)
• Satisfactory: 70–85 points
• Problematic: 55–70 points
• Difficult: 40–55 points
• Very serious: <40 points

In 2002 when theReporters Without Borders (RSF) started their index, Swaziland received a score of 29 and was designated as "Not Free."

The 2010 rating ranked 155th out of 178 countries.

In 2015 Swaziland was still ranked 155th out of 180 countries, and still considered "Not Free." The narrative cited severe self-censorship, restrictive legislation, and government control over critical media. 

Following the change of government in 2018, the 2020 index started improving slightly, scoring 54.85 points and was ranked 141st out of 180 countries, reflecting a restrictive environment for independent journalism.

In 2021 the score slipped to 53.66 points, but kept the country at 141 out of 180 countries, noting that the state maintained tight control over broadcast media, and linked viability of the independent media to support of the government.

In 2022 to 131 out of 180 countries in 2022 with a score of 46.42 points, stating that the country prevents journalists from working freely and independently by maintaining total control over the broadcast media, infiltrating the newsroom, and spying on, arresting and harassing journalists.

Following the 2023 elections, there was a surge of positive sentiments around an incoming administration. The country's ranking improved 6 places to 125 out if 180 countries with a score of 52.66 points.

In 2024 the Ministry of Information published the Broadcasting Act, bring a landmark reform that promised for the first time since independence the possibility of independent broadcasters in community and commercial broadcasting licences for both radio and TV. The reforms also include transforming the Government broadcasting service by merging government radio and TV under a new public broadcasting body. Positive sentiments to this reform pushed the country's ranking 26 places, moving the Kingdom from 111th to 85th out of 180 countries, with a global score of 58.31, the best on record.

Since then however, it has been slipping back.

By 2025 however the country started regressing, dropping 13 places from 85 to 98th out of 180 countries with an overall score of 52.86 points.

The decline continued in 2026, Eswatini dropping a further 3 places to 101st out of 180 countries, with a total score of 51.94 points. This returned the country in the "Difficult" environment category for journalism.

What the rankings show, and mean

Readers and audiences spend money to read, hear or watch stories that make their subjects squirm. News is news when because it is eye-opening, it shocks and surprises, inspiring discussion and comment.

Good journalists go to great lengths to investigate issues in the national interest. What they expose, is often inefficiency, ineffective systems or policies to malfeasance and corruption.

When a system functions well and places a premium on honesty, transparency, good governance, efficiency and effectiveness, the news media is an uncomfortable spotlight. Because exposure of wrongdoing can easily have consequences, public servants work diligently. But when a system has been compromised, the consequences fall on journalists and on courageous whistleblowers who draw public attention to wrongdoing.

People who have power and authority typically will seek to take revenge in one form or the other, on the journalists and whistleblowers who help journalists expose them.

Litigation as a blunt instrument

Increasingly, people implicated in wrongdoing are taking advantage of strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP) lawsuits and approach the courts seeking onerous punitive costs against journalists and publications. In the past 10 years Eswatini has seen the courts approval some of the highest punitive judgements against journalists with costs capable of shutting down media organisations.

Political powers also use administrative measures to control journalists and influence what gets reported and what is avoided. Eswatini has a rack full of hostile media laws, including laws that expose journalists to criminal charges of terrorism.

Most recently, control of the media narrative has been shifted online.

Technology now enables even public institutions to by-pass the media and publish their statements directly to audiences without being asked to explain or clarify.

Citizen journalists and influencers promoting personal opinions, jokes and mischief are enjoying a surge in influence and following. It is a rich space for sinister anti-social forces to also thrive. Misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and political propaganda all find equal thriving space online. Universally, low media literacy means that ordinary people are unable to tell the difference between hoaxes and genuine information.

Every year, the Swaziland Editors Forum coordinates World Press Freedom Day, a United Nations Mandated commemoration on 3 May and hosts key stakeholders from civil society, the judiciary, the legislature and the executive branches of government to a day of advocacy for the importance of respecting press freedom. It is through such initiatives that editors hope they can continue to play a role in promoting public awareness and the value of press freedom.