PERSPECTIVES DIGITAL RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION SERIES 6 COMMUNITY MEDIA IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA ­PART 2 Community media for community-driven access and rights Community media gives communities a voice and allows them to define their path, pandering neither to political nor commercial interests. Community media is in the unique position of only operating in the interests of the community it serves. It is a platform for the community’s freedom of expression, a fundamental human right in a democracy. The past year(2021) provided many opportunities for stations to exercise this role, as it was a challenging time for African human rights. Measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 provided governments with justification for repressing the right to dissent and other freedoms, banning peaceful protests and using excessive force to break them up. Here the need for access to information was further emphasised, with communities needing access to information even more urgently. Birgitte Jallov September, 2022 Community media is a platform on which indigenous knowledge and heritage can be documented, archived and shared along with the intangible cultural heritage. This covers all from remembering the past through storytelling by the elders, remembering traditional ways to work the land, and the often very valuable and valued initiation processes.