The governments in the SADC region are hell bent on silencing the media and are determined to control the thinking of the citizens they govern. One of the most effective ways in which the SADC governments have achieved this has been through blackmail and suppression of all criticism and information designed to expose the fallacy of their policies and, in some cases, the crimes of their elite. Advocacy has become one of the of the central components of MISA ‘s Action Alert Network. MISA chapters report media freedom and freedom of expression abuses in its regional secretariat which, in turn, circulates this information to MISA members, organisations and other subscribers around the world through its mailing lists. This efficient system enables members to stay abreast of media activities, more especially violations of the rights of journalists SADC. An important aspect of MISA’s Action Alert Network is its membership to the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) which links freedom of expression groups around the world. Through its linkage with IFEX MISA ensures that its alerts – and therefore its monitoring work – receives international exposure. Importantly, the IFEX and its distribution of alerts also allows for a rapid, world-wide and coordinated response to press freedom and freedom of expression violations. Action Alerts help turn spotlights from around the world squarely on those responsible for human rights violations - and this can make a significant difference, as those who violate human rights often rely on the cover of darkness. MISA alerts should also be seen as an important advocacy tool for the simple reason that we have seen coordinated letter-writing campaigns help unlock prison doors, lift publication bans and even save lives. Other than letter writing campaigns and online advocacy strategies, MISA continuously strives to gain public exposure and support for journalists in the region. One such activity took place in late February 2002 in response to the impending enactment of repressive media laws in Zimbabwe. MISA secretariat and chapters coordinated a regional and international campaign to highlight the crackdown on the media in Zimbabwe through writing letters of appeal to international, continental (Africa) and regional bodies. These appeals were supported by public demonstrations and personal visits to Zimbabwean High Commissions in most of the 11 SADC countries. MISA protests the repression of media in Zimbabwe The SADC Journalists Under Fire workshop was held from July 29 – 31, 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Previous victims of media freedom and freedom of expression violations, more specifically working journalists, participated in the workshop. The discussions at the workshop served as an initial feasibility study into the establishment of effective Action Alert follow-up 17