THE WAY FORWARD The Way Forward 1. What were the developments in the media environment in the last three/four years? The main negative development was the incapacitation of the media lobby and advocacy organisations, mainly due to lack of funding. Another major issue is the lack of unity among media practitioners to facilitate concerted efforts to revive media organisations, increase media professionalism and address media platform sustainability. 2. What kinds of activities are needed over the next three/four years? With a fragmented and divided media fraternity, it is difficult to advocate around issues of repressive legislation, poor working conditions and the strengthening of professional standards. These are critical issues that need the media sector to interrogate and unpack, with the aim of working towards solutions. Media platform sustainability is the principal threat to media diversity. Panellists identified the crucial need to organise a media stakeholders meeting aimed at fusing the media fraternity around issues of collective interest. This is intended to increase cooperation on issues affecting the media sector at large and to enable coalition building, including the establishment or revival of media organisations and associations. Common grounds/issues include the building of unity of purpose to focus on: • Professionalism -- Specifically, ethics, standards and sharing of skills • Transformation of the media -- An introspective overview of the media landscape in Botswana -- Brainstorming possible solutions through a SWOT29 analysis • Funding -- Media sustainability -- New models of funding The panellists resolved that the best way to do this would be: • To hold a workshop with relevant stakeholders to discuss the above issues. • To ensure that this workshop discussion forms part of the programme for the launch of the Botswana 2018 AMB report. 29 SWOT Analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. 60 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2018