The prospects for improved climate change journalism in the region are impacted by the state of each of these factors: l access to information. l pluralism/diversity. l public interest journalism. many countries in the region due to the lack of open data regimes in many African countries. Open data is not yet entrenched in law on the continent, and the legal frameworks supporting it are either incomplete or absent. (10) Media plurality and diversity These three factors intersect and reinforce each other. A healthy media ecosystem that is defined by the availability of a wide range of information sources fosters the growth of public interest journalism and guarantees that the public is informed and equipped to engage in democratic processes. While the media sector in Southern Africa has become pluralistic, thanks in part to media liberalisation and digital technologies, diversity remains a challenge. A pluralistic, diverse, and free media provide space for diverse voices and perspectives, including those of marginalised communities, who are often disproportionately affected by climate change. Due to the commercialisation of media and the predominance of urban media outlets, there are fewer voices in the media. In South Africa and Namibia for example, the social inequalities that emerged from apartheid that exist in broader society, continue to be reproduced in and through the media. Access to information Since the adoption of the African Platform on Access to Information in 2021, five countries out of 11 in the region have adopted access to information laws. (8) Journalists in countries with state-owned print and broadcast media, such as Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and Zambia, are known for extensively covering officials while providing scant or negligible coverage of topics related to sustainable development and climate change. Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho do not have access to information laws, while Namibia and Zambia recently enacted that legislation. “News deserts” are becoming more prevalent as community media and local journalism struggles. The Afrobarometer reports of the last two decades demonstrate how access to information continues to be a challenge, even in countries that have laws pertaining to it. (9) However, the emergence of digital startups is encouraging. They have the potential to significantly strengthen media diversity by introducing innovative approaches to content creation, distribution, and consumption. In addition to challenges of implementation are subsidiary pieces of legislation either restricting or negating access to information that are still on the books in some countries. Digital start-ups can also broaden the spectrum of viewpoints and minority voices as well as opinions that are frequently disregarded or sidelined by traditional media sources by providing several platforms for expression such as blogging, vlogs, social media, or niche online communities for people to share their perspectives and experiences. Other challenges include the struggle of journalists’ in the region in obtaining public data, due to the inadequate implementation of access to information legislation. Access to reliable and comprehensive information is crucial for reporting on climate change in an effective way and for informing the public so they can address this pressing matter. Public interest journalism Increasingly, data journalism is intersecting with climate change reporting and plays a crucial role in climate change reporting by providing evidence-based insights, visualisations, and analysis to help audiences understand the complexities of climate science, policies, and their impacts. Since journalism is vital to the development of informed and engaged citizenry, which is necessary for the proper functioning of a democratic society, it is often seen as a public good. (11) As a public good, the media should prioritise However, accessing this data is a challenge in 11 STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2023