https://zimbabwe.misa.org Strategies for Internet Technology and Digital Rights Reporting Impact of Internet and Technology on the media industry: An Overview The general consensus amongst media researchers and practitioners is that internet and technology have been disruptive to mainstream journalism practice. That digital disruption or impact has transformed Southern Africa’s mainstream media in various ways including the following: • transforming newsgathering practices • restructuring of newsroom operations through convergence • knock-on effects from dwindling advertising revenues • triggering massive job cuts • the decline in print readership owing to digital migration • loss of potential online revenue owing to aggressive competition • at times, content theft from online players • adoption of video live streaming which creates new media audiences • the rise of amateur and semi-professional content creators • the growth of influential blogspheres and proliferation of social media particularly in urban settings • the emergence of peripheral actors such as citizen journalists. The global coronavirus pandemic has further exacerbated and accelerated the financial fragility of mainstream media organisations, many of whom have responded by suspending editions, laying off staff, reducing print pages, introducing staggered work rosters and operating with limited personnel whilst adjusting to working remotely. Lockdowns effected by governments to contain the spread of coronavirus also crippled revenues whilst mediums such as radio recorded increased listenership with more people having been forced to stay home. In addition, press freedom was significantly eroded, along with other digital rights, as authoritarian regimes used the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to violate rights to access to information and freedom of expression23, amongst others. Influence of mobile technology in alternate news-making Despite obstacles such as low internet penetration, unreliable connectivity and astronomical internet access costs, there has been mounting evidence that mobile technology is being used, to varying degrees, by citizens to contribute to news-making and information exchange in influential ways24. By harnessing mobile technology for news-making and information exchange, citizens actively 23Elaborated in 2020 State of Internet Freedom report by CIPESA 24Paterson, C. (2013). Journalism and social media in the African context. 7