Tulipamwe Nashuuta

It has been 33 years of independence and the dust around land reform has refused to settle. There are sort of divergent narratives on the issue. 

There are views that the government has failed to provide equitable and sustainable land dispensation that overcomes land access inequalities, reduces poverty, and spurs economic growth.  

In contrast, there are also arguments that the government’s land reform programmes especially the willing seller, and willing buyer did not fail but were rather thwarted by intransigent farmers.

The media code of ethics obligates media to provide trustworthy and relevant news information as well as opportunities for diverse voices to be heard in the public arena. Scholars have acknowledged that the manipulation of media stories and withholding of information of public interest may create an information gap and room for misinformation.

Besides that, the polarisation of media content on policy issues of huge national importance thus has a polemical effect on the reading public and leads to questions about the reliability of media content on issues as consequential as land reform.

While it is accepted that consumers may be divided over the implementation of land reform, the question of whether there is bias in the print media’s coverage of land reform in Namibia, and whether the media has been a responsible advocate and knowledge source in addressing the land question has not been interrogated.

This article presents the findings of my study submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree in Media and Communication Technology.

The overarching research objective of the study was to explore the degree of land reform coverage by the print media while interrogating the newspapers’ sources of information on the land issue.

What emerged was the revelation of the tremendously low coverage of land reform dominated by what we regard as elite sources. 

The sobering effect of this is that the media is shown to have done very little to contain the voices of beneficiaries and existing landowners. 

 Of concern, land reform issues have been treated as inferior compared to other socio-economic issues. The rate of recurrence of land acquisition and redistribution stories in Namibia’s print media should be worrisome.

Frames to consider

Having said that, media framing of Namibia’s land and agrarian issues - just like elsewhere in the world - will vary depending on the specific outlet and its editorial stance. However, frames and perspectives that could be used when discussing these issues in Namibia, would include the historical injustice narrative, through which Namibia’s colonial past, particularly the brutal colonisation by Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the dispossession of land from indigenous communities could be revisited. This framing would highlight the need for reparations and land reform to address past injustices, for example. 

Another media frame can focus on the ongoing land redistribution efforts in Namibia. This perspective would discuss government policies aimed at addressing land inequality and returning land to historically disadvantaged communities, particularly exploring the challenges, successes, and controversies associated with these initiatives.

Namibia’s land and agrarian issues within the context of economic development are another angle worth pursuing. Here, the media would highlight the importance of agriculture as a key sector in Namibia’s economy and discuss the role of land reform in promoting economic growth, job creation, and food security.

Media outlets can also take a legal and constitutional approach to framing land and agrarian issues. They may examine the legal frameworks governing land ownership and land reform in Namibia and assess the effectiveness of these laws in achieving their intended goals.

Also, in some cases, media coverage could draw comparisons between Namibia’s land issues and similar challenges in other countries, particularly in Southern Africa, thereby providing a broader context for understanding the complexities of land reform in Namibia.

The coverage may also analyse the political dimensions of land reform, including the positions and policies of political parties and leaders in Namibia. 

This frame can shed light on the political debates and negotiations surrounding land and agrarian issues.

It is important, however, to note that media framing can influence public perception and policy discussion issues. Additionally, the media landscape is dynamic, and coverage may evolve over time as new developments occur and public attitudes change.

*Tulipamwe Nashuuta is a Journalism and Media Technology student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology and a freelance journalist.