MISA makes call for national AI blueprint
MOSA MAOENG
MASERU – Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Lesotho) has called for a national Artificial Intelligence and media taskforce made up of journalists and technology experts to develop local ethical guidelines for AI use in media. MISA-Lesotho Chairperson, Kananelo Boloetse, made the call ahead of the World Press Freedom Day celebrated on May 3 annually.
AI is the field of computer science that focuses on creating machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning and problem-solving.
World Press Freedom Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind government of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in Windhoek in 1991.
This year’s theme stated ‘Reporting in the brave new world: The impact of AI on press freedom and the media.’
Boloetse said this is not just a theme but a warning, a prompt plea to critically assess how AI is transforming the media landscape, particularly in a small but complex democracy like in Lesotho.
He said “in this brave new world, the relationship between technology and press freedom is double-edged.”
He said while AI offers opportunities for innovation, efficiently and reach, it also poses existential threats to editorial independence, factual reporting and the public’s right to credible information.
He said: “We need a unified, strategic and inclusive platform where journalists, regulators, telecom companies, civil society and academia can engage meaningfully on how AI should be governed and integrated in our media and communication systems.”
Boloetse said MISA-Lesotho calls for a national AI and media taskforce, training and capacity building for journalists, especially in rural areas to understand and responsibly use AI tools, while also learning how to detect and report on AI-generated disinformation, investment in local fact checking initiatives, legal protections as well media literacy campaigns.
He noted that, “Lesotho cannot afford to be a passive observer in this transformation.”
Boloetse said that it is important to proactively chart our own course; leverage AI’s potential while vigilantly guarding the hard-won press freedom. He spoke hard on the ills bedeviling media houses in Lesotho.
“In Lesotho, journalists operate in an already difficult environment, characterized by resource scarcity, political interference, and increasing public distrust. Newsrooms across the country are understaffed and underfunded.”
He added that many journalists juggle multiple roles to keep news flowing, in such conditions, the allure of AI tools that promise speed, scale and automation is understandable.
He said already some media houses are experimenting with AI-generated content and social media influencers, some powered by AI tools like ChatGPT, are now viewed as credible news sources by large segments of the public.
The MISA-Lesotho chairman continued that the question is not whether AI will reshape the media in Lesotho, but whether they will remain in control of that process or become its casualties.
“To respond to this challenge, we must not reject AI, but humanise it. We must shape its integration into our media systems in ways that uphold journalistic ethics, accuracy, public accountability and pluralism. It is deeply concerning to date, MISA-Lesotho, Lesotho Communications Authority and the country’s two dominant mobile network operators, Econet Telecom Lesotho and Vodacom Lesotho, have not yet come together to collaboratively chart a national response to AI,” said Boloetse.
He added that these institutions hold the keys to Lesotho’s digital future. He said that their silence and fragmentation in the face of this technological revolution risk allowing foreign algorithms, unchecked platforms and profit-driven systems to dictate the terms of Lesotho’s information environment.
Boloetse highlighted that Lesotho cannot afford a reactive posture.
The Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution (SECTION 2), in their statement dated May 3, noted that the celebration of World Press Freedom Day should never be left to journalists alone. It is a day that belongs to all, citizens, civil society organisations, private businesses and the government. Because the truth is, ‘we are what we are because of the work of journalists.’
Without a free and functioning press, NGOs would run impactful programmes in silence, the contributions of the private sector would remain invisible, and many of those in positions of power would not have made it into office had the media not told the people who they were and what they stood for.
The group further added that it is always disappointing that this important day is often met with silence from nearly every sector, except the media itself. It is a shameful silence that reflects not just apathy but a failure to recognize the backbone of our public discourse.
The statement added that press freedom is not a media issue, it is a societal imperative noting that, a free press is the watchdog of Lesotho’s democracy, the amplifier of the voiceless, and the mirror through which the nation sees itself.
SECTION 2 recognises that while AI brings exciting possibilities to journalism from automating tedious tasks to uncovering new data patterns it also raises concern about misinformation, job scrutiny for media workers, surveillance and the erosion of editorial independence.
It added that the brave new world must not be one in which brave journalism is lost.
“At SECTION 2, we understand the irreplaceable value of a free, independent and ethical press. We celebrate with the media, not as spectators, but as committed partners,” read the statement.
