- More than seven in 10 Basotho (73%) say the media should “constantly investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption.”
- Nearly eight in 10 (77%) insist on media freedom, while 22% endorse a government right to prevent the publication of things it disapproves of.
- In practice, only 38% of citizens say the country’s media is “somewhat free” or “completely free” to report and comment on the news without government interference, while almost half (46%) disagree.
- Radio is the most popular source of news in Lesotho, used at least “a few times a week” by six in 10 citizens (59%). o Social media (44%), television (38%), and the Internet (20%) beat out newspapers (6%) as regular news sources.
In the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, Lesotho experienced a cataclysmic fall from 67th to 122nd position out of 180 countries (MISA Southern Africa, 2024). This decline followed the May 2023 killing of investigative journalist and radio presenter Ralikonelo Joki, who was gunned down outside his radio station in the capital city of Maseru, allegedly because of his work as a broadcaster (Freedom House, 2024; Committee to Project Journalists, 2023).
Lesotho has since made a modest recovery, rising to 107th place in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, but media freedom in the country remains fragile (Reporters Without Borders, 2025). The safety of journalists is a major concern, particularly in a context characterised by impunity. In a case involving Lesotho Times editor Lloyd Mutungamiri, who survived an attempt on his life outside his home in 2016, justice has yet to prevail (African Freedom of Expression Exchange, 2023; Public Eye, 2023): Four soldiers of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) are still on trial nearly a decade later. An accomplice witness has testified that Mutungamiri needed to be threatened and silenced for writing “bad things” about the LDF (Lesotho Times, 2023).
In recent years, media outlets in Lesotho have also been confronted with civil defamation lawsuits, which some activists have called out as a tactic by government and corporations to undermine press freedom and discourage journalists from exposing underhanded dealings (CIVICUS Monitor, 2024; CIVICUS Global Alliance, 2024).
How do Basotho assess their media scene?
According to the 2024 Afrobarometer survey, strong majorities of Basotho value media freedom and say the media should act as a watchdog over the government, constantly investigating and reporting on government mistakes and corruption. But on whether media freedom exists in practice in their country, Basotho are divided.
While radio dominates as the most popular news source in Lesotho, more than four in 10 citizens also regularly obtain news via social media, followed by television.