Will things be the same again for freedom of expression in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) after COVID-19? Findings of a 2020 research by Advancing Rights in Southern Africa (ARISA) and Internews on the state of freedom of expression in 8 Southern African Development Community (SADC) states under COVID-19 lockdown laws and regulations are troubling in areas of media sustainability and freedom of expression restrictions but the development of new media innovations gives a ray of hope. More encouraging results also show that news consumption patterns are shifting and there is more interest by media to use social media as a channel for sharing news. Overall, the pandemic was an opportunity to improve journalism.