In the Middle East and North Africa, a region where societies are so heavily affected by the extent and range of crises, a severe reduction of investigative and accountability-oriented journalism will have a heavy impact, believes Ayman Mhanna. Nowhere else is investigative journalism more needed than here, he points out.

When asked if all is now lost, the expert has a clear answer: “Absolutely not.” After all, he says, the media sector has done important work in recent years: “Today, there are media outlets that are trying to diversify their revenue model.” Although media houses in the MENA region are still “far from reaching total viability,” there is hope that the crisis will lead to new creativity and innovation. “Local leadership of media development projects” is now more important than ever, he points out.

Media houses should speed up their use of smart AI to improve their editorial processes. “I am not minimizing the crisis, but I know that the most reliable independent media outlets and media development organizations will survive, make sacrifices, and continue their mission.”

Mhanna believes the current situation is also a moment for OECD member states “to test their commitment to the principles.” A crucial question, he says, is: “Will their priority, moving forward, be to save jobs at the headquarters of European and North American based media development organizations or to encourage more independent, accountability-focused independent work on the ground?”

Mhanna’s appeal to organizations from the global North is to rethink their own working methods, structures, and the purpose of their work. His recommendation: “Move away from any role that requires a heavy overhead, overly pricey rent, headquarters’ costs, and any feeling of entitlement, and turn into effective enablers for the best journalism to take place in countries where accountability is needed the most and cannot find other avenues except through quality journalism.”