Impact of Covid 19 on Media Sustainability https://zimbabwe.misa.org Method and methodology The methodology employed is mainly qualitative research, with data used both for triangulation and for elucidation. The methodology is aligned with the purpose of the research, which aims to be pragmatic without abandoning academic rigor and aims to come up with evidence-based recommendations. Behind the study was the normative idea of news media as a merit good, and in the regional context this means an emphasis on the financial health of private, independent news media as well as reform of State-owned news media to fulfil its public interest role. The method was, first, to survey the research already undertaken on the Covid-19 impact on global and the media in the region and the state of media globally and in the region generally and then to conduct semi-structured interviews 4 with senior journalists, media owners, media experts, market experts, and media managers in the region or with knowledge of the region. This was followed up with specific contacts for clarity where necessary. A time constraint and the restrictions on travel prevented the kind of in-depth knowledge that journalistic “shoe-leather” provides but the interviews with journalists and others knowledgeable about the news media provided rich insights, and I have tried to move beyond the anecdotal evidence where possible by finding supporting data elsewhere. Finally, I have tapped my own experience as a business journalist and former board member of the Mail & Guardian newspaper.