Jeff Conroy-Krutz approaches autocracy in Africa from the perspective of media public confidence. He argues that without public confidence in media African leaders may become more autocratic. Democracy Digest has reported on the Professor’s article on media public confidence and democratic governance in Africa. From the report,

Erosion in public confidence in the media could embolden African leaders with autocratic tendencies, says Jeff Conroy-Krutz, Associate Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. It could also provoke violence against journalists, limits on freedoms of expression, and an undermining of democracy more broadly, he writes for The Conversation:

Afrobarometer, an independent African research network, has been tracking African citizens’ attitudes on political, economic, and social issues since 1999. Its latest round of surveys, conducted between 2016 and 2018, included more than 45,000 respondents in 34 countries. Most say they support democracy. But there are indications that confidence in institutions like elections and the media might be declining. …Support for media freedom has declined sharply. The most recent survey showed that only 46% supported press freedoms; 49% favoured some government censorship.

Despite the growth of democracy and the creation of numerous anti-corruption institutions, corruption continues to undermine governance processes across the African continent, notes Nana Ama Agyemang Asante (left), co-host of the “Citi Breakfast Show” (CBS), a public-interest radio show on the Accra-based Citi FM. It is estimated that Africa annually loses over $50 billion through illicit flows and $148 billion through corruption. Ghana alone loses about GhC 13.5 billion through corruption, with many citizens having to pay bribes before accessing basic public services.

See the full article at Democracy Digest.