The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) in Lesotho has launched a COVID-19 Media Relief Fund for media practitioners in distress.
This comes in the wake of African Union chair President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call on public and private institutions to support the media fraternity.
The fund is part of a broader objective to rebuild Africa’s economies following the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chairperson for Misa Lesotho, Nkoale Tsoana, says the relief fund seeks to protect the integrity of the media.
“We are avoiding a situation where journalists will start receiving gifts from different people because our ethics don’t allow that,” he says.
The initiative also comes as Maseru prepares for a COVID-19 resurgence. The pandemic has seen some media houses shut their doors and journalists losing jobs.
“At present moment, we are at a position where we want to be relieved and there comes a second wave. That speaks volume to us media – that a greater problem is coming, hence you see Misa Lesotho standing up and appealing to the nation and everyone to help us to come out of this situation we are facing now,” says Tsoana.
Misa says various corporations and philanthropists have raised their hands to assist media practitioners in bid to ensure that they continue to hold those in power to account without any fear or favour.
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