BOTSWANA MEDIA UNDER PRESSURE

Botswana has slipped sharply in global press freedom rankings, with a new study warning that legal threats, costly lawsuits and political hostility are placing growing strain on the country’s independent media. (*DESIGN NOTE: Place a large visual hook directly below the blurb showing the statistic “42 → 81”. Caption: Botswana global press freedom ranking, 2015 → 2025.*) For decades, Botswana has been regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies, with a reputation for relatively open public debate and a press able to question those in power.

But a new report examining the country’s media environment suggests that reputation is under increasing strain. The study, titled *A Democracy at the Crossroads: Mapping Threats to the Media in Botswana*, says the pressures facing journalists are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of legal, political and economic challenges affecting the country’s media landscape. Its most striking finding is the scale of Botswana’s decline in global press freedom rankings.

Botswana ranked 42nd in the world in 2015 but had fallen to 81st place by 2025, according to the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. The report describes the deterioration of Botswana’s media environment as the result of what it calls “a convergence of structural vulnerabilities and deliberate political strategies.” Researchers say the pressures affecting the media come from multiple directions, including restrictive legislation, costly defamation lawsuits, surveillance concerns and political rhetoric directed at journalists. The report draws on interviews with journalists, legal experts and civil society actors, as well as legal documents, newsroom records, advocacy research and international press freedom indicators. It is attributed to researcher Mmapula Molapong, while a second contributing author who resides in Botswana is not identified “for professional reasons.” According to the study, several colonial-era laws remain part of Botswana’s legal framework, including provisions on sedition and criminal defamation.