JUST like that, we are in 2025, and we at News Diggers! take this moment to reflect, appreciate, and express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who stood with us during what has undoubtedly been the toughest year in our eight years of existence. The year 2024 tested every fibre of our resolve, surpassing even the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The energy crisis made newspaper production three times more expensive. A weak Kwacha, plunging to K28 to the dollar, drove up the cost of importing raw materials. On top of this, high fuel prices and a struggling economy slashed consumer spending, leading to declining sales against high taxes.

Despite these challenges, we faced 2024 with resilience, living day by day and adapting to survive. Through the Media Owners Association, we knocked on various government doors, advocating for incentives to sustain the media sector. Regrettably, our efforts were mired in bureaucratic delays. But we did not falter; we adjusted, innovated, and persisted. The situation was not any better for electronic news as citizens could not power the gadgets to watch and listen to current affairs. It doesn’t happen often that people living in the capital city of a country would struggle to find a place to charge their phone. But this is what our people endured and survived in 2024.

Yet here we are celebrating, not the end of these challenges, but toasting to our survival and embracing the promise of a better 2025. This survival was only possible because of the unwavering support from our readers, subscribers, advertisers, and news sources.

As a newspaper, we know that we would not have made it without the support from our advertisers and paid subscribers including foreign embassies, government institutions and corporate firms that propelled us through the hard times with monthly and annual subscriptions. To our daily subscribers, we say thank you for making a difference. Your K10-a-day contributions for our ePaper sustained us through the storm. You alerted us to technical issues and kept us on our toes with your loyalty and feedback.

On the advertising front, 2024 was so tough that companies cut down on their budgetary allocations. But we still had giants that did not only manage to stay afloat, but also tagged us along to the end of the year. When we say Trade Kings is a parent of many media companies in Zambia, we don’t exaggerate. Through its subsidiary Big Tree, the manufacturer remained consistent with its support to us, giving us confidence and reason to stay relevant. Meanwood Properties, our long-time partners did not abandon us despite the prevailing economic challenges. Uniturtle, ZICB, CTPD and Eden University, our other long time partners showed us that unity in the face of adversity is key to survival. Meanwhile, when we needed them the most, Shoprite opened the door for us, and we can’t thank Mr Botha and his management enough. A private sector-supported newspaper is always better at pursuing public accountability than one that relies on government funding.

And talking about accountability, we must pause and salute all our news sources; the public office holders who opened the door for our interviews and the whistle-blowers who gave us the exclusives. You are the backbone of investigative journalism. We always say that a newspaper is not the four walls of a newsroom or a printing press; it is the quality of news sources, and we are proud of our talking partners. Your bravery in speaking out and sharing critical information and opinions ensured that we could continue delivering impactful stories to our audiences.

We know that a vibrant and fearless newspaper cannot survive without a strong legal backing. Publishing news that certain people wish to keep buried means being dragged to court very often. We will be displaying a high degree of ingratitude if we close this year without bowing down to our strong legal defence teams at Nchito & Nchito as well as Mwenye and Mwitwa Advocates. Governments and powerful individuals involved in illegal dealings always use intimidation and lawfare to suppress poor media houses. They use lawsuits to silence and prevent critical media like ourselves from exposing them even when they know they are wrong. But we did our work fearlessly in 2024, thanks to the support from these two law firms that have stood by our side from inception to protect and promote good journalism. We salute you.

To our hardworking staff, you are the soul of this organization. We don’t think there is any media house that recorded profits in 2024. But in a year when profits were a pipe dream and sustaining salaries was a herculean task, your dedication shone. Many of you stayed even when the temptation to leave for more secure opportunities arose. Some turned down lucrative government jobs to remain true to journalism. Your patience, unity, and passion have been the cornerstone of our survival. We have survived 2024 because of that level of determination.

From our board and all of us at News Diggers! we wish you a Happy News Year!

Cheers to the good times!