20 May 2024, William Bird and Thandi Smith, Daily Mverick
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) was formed precisely because there was recognition that the media could have a significant impact on almost all electoral processes.
In 1993, MMA – then the Broadcast Monitoring Project (BMP) –was established to monitor and analyse media coverage on the SABC. There was justifiable concern that given the SABC’s history of being used as a state propaganda machine it could be used by some seeking to subvert the 1994 elections.
MMA has monitored the coverage of every national, local and provincial elections since 1994. Fast forward 30 years and we are currently monitoring 95 media in the lead-up to the elections. Much has changed in the last three decades.