WELCOME TO ajen
The African Journalism Education Network (Ajen) brings together people and organisations active in African journalism education as well as those interested in the field.
Ajen aims to:
Opportunities, resources and events for journalism educators
OPPORTUNITIES
EVENT: CoMMPASS “Communicating Migrations”
Join this impactful webinar hosted by CoMMPASS – a free, self-paced online course designed for journalism students and practising journalists interested in migration in Africa. Developed by eight African and European universities in partnership with leading global institutions, the course features 14 media-rich modules.
SUBMISSION: The Next 100 Years of Regular Radio Broadcasting in SA
In 2024, South Africa celebrated 100 years of regular radio broadcasting, a milestone that invites us to reflect not only on its storied past but also on what the next century may bring. From its roots in early amateur experiments to today’s digitally integrated platforms, radio has remained a resilient and evolving medium.
EVENT: Media Capture in the Global South: Power & Resistance
Join in on this half-day “unconference” and book launch exploring media capture across Africa and Latin America, organised by the Sociological & Cultural Studies group and Glasgow University Media Group in partnership with the Glasgow Latin American Research Network. This hybrid event marks the launch of the forthcoming book Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power & Resistance and brings together researchers, journalists, and civil society actors to discuss emerging patterns of media control and grassroots resistance in the Global South.
EVENT: Open Educational Resources and Generative AI
Join Dr. Jako Olivier (Commonwealth of Learning, Canada) for an online webinar on 7 April 2025 exploring the intersection of open educational resources (OER) and Generative AI.
SUBMISSION: The South African Communication Association Conference
The South African Communication Association (SACOMM) invites submissions for its 2025 conference, which will be themed Currents: People, Power, and Practice.
SUBMISSION: Reflecting on Three Decades of SANEF
In 2026, the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) will mark its 30th anniversary. This milestone provides a timely opportunity to critically examine the organisation’s contribution to South Africa’s media landscape, its role in shaping sociocultural and sociopolitical discourse, and its impact on journalistic practices in the country. This edited volume seeks to bring together diverse perspectives from academics, journalists, media practitioners, legal experts, historians, political scientists, civil society activists and cultural commentators to reflect on SANEF’s journey over the past 30 years.
more opportunities
We are united by the belief that democracy needs good journalism, and that quality journalism education can help the continent and its people get the information services they deserve.
WE ARE UNITED IN VISION
MEMBERSHIP
Join Our Network, Set the Standard for Africa’s media
Join Ajen Network to connect with like-minded individuals and expand your professional network. Unlock opportunities to learn more and improve your career.
NEWS & UPDATES
News
Climate change misinformation exacerbates the impacts of global warming
Rampant climate misinformation is accelerating the global climate crisis, warns a major new report by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE). The global study, based on 300 academic sources, finds that fossil fuel companies, political actors, and digital disinformation campaigns are obstructing climate action through denialism, greenwashing, and misleading narratives. The IPIE calls for urgent countermeasures, including criminalising climate disinformation, and urges media platforms to uphold integrity. With global events like COP30 on the horizon, the fight against climate lies is more critical than ever for achieving emissions goals and environmental justice.
Ajen roundtable meeting 2025 to be held in Accra
The African Journalism Education Network (AJEN) will host its fourth Roundtable from 3–5 September 2025 in Accra, Ghana, at UniMAC’s Institute of Journalism. Under the theme Journalism Education Today: Embracing Change, Affirming the Basics and Shaping the Future, the event will bring together journalism educators from across the continent for high-level discussions, networking, and collaboration. Highlights include the Adenauer Annual Lecture by Prof Claudia Nothelle (Germany) and a UNESCO-led workshop on media and information literacy. The roundtable aims to advance journalism education in Africa amidst rapid media shifts, with support from partners like Fojo Media Institute and the Wits Centre for Journalism.
Ghana’s UniMAC is pioneering a rigorous PhD programme
The University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMac) in Ghana has launched a pioneering PhD programme in communication and media studies — one of the few of its kind in the country. Developed across six specialist strands, the four-year programme combines rigorous coursework with advanced research training.
Pushed to the margins: The marginalization of Africa in the media
The marginalization of Africa in the mainstream media is overwhelming and consistent. Only a minimal proportion of available airtime or print space is devoted to African issues. Even fundamental events in Africa, such as “the deadliest war of the 21st century” (Tigray) and what is currently “the world’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis” (in Sudan), are largely marginalized or even completely ignored. Reporting on Africa is not only marginal, but still appears to be dominated by so-called K-issues (wars, crises, catastrophes). When Africa is reported on, which is rare, the coverage is usually negative.
Press freedom: Economy and authoritarian tendencies cause problems for the media
War, authoritarianism, and economic crisis: Various organizations used this year’s World Press Freedom Day to draw attention to the alarming state of press freedom around the world. Reporters Without Borders classifies the situation for journalism in its Press Freedom Index and accompanying report as “difficult”: in half of all countries worldwide, conditions for journalists are considered poor, and the average score of the countries surveyed has reached a new low. A look at the developments and background.
Debate on Trump 2.0 and the implications for Africa – Rethinking donor-funded journalism
USAID cuts have hit the media in Africa hard and worsened working conditions for journalists, who already struggle with low wages, harassment, and political repression. At the same time, power struggles between the West, China, and Russia over truth and discourse are increasingly influencing the future of African media landscapes.
New Publications in June 2025
Explore our latest list of new publications and articles that explore key themes shaping media and communication today. From African-centred scholarship and propaganda in the age of disinformation, to artistic resistance in SWANA regions and political communication from the margins, each work offers critical insights for scholars, students, and practitioners across the African and global communications research community.
Nelson Mandela University to host SACOMM 2025
All roads will lead to the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Gqeberha, South Africa, for the 2025 edition of the South African Communications Association (SACOMM) conference under the theme “Currents: People, Power, and Practice” from 8 to 11 September 2025.
Meet Your Colleague: Nompumelelo Gumede
Dr. Nompumelelo Gumede is passionate about making health communication more participatory and culturally grounded. Learn more about her research on youth-led interventions, arts-based methods, and why one-way messaging still fails African communities in this month’s Meet Your Colleague interview series.
Concerns over journalism education in Ghana
Journalism education in Ghana is a source of concern, so says Dr Richmond Acheampong, who lectures in journalism at the Christian Service University in Kumasi, Ghana.
New Publications in May 2025
Explore our latest list of new publications and articles that explore various facets of digital media, communication, social dynamics and other areas related to the African communications and media studies research community. From propaganda in digital media, public scholarship in the Mediterranean and African climate journalism to Africa-China relations and the evolution of Indigenous African communication systems in the digital age, each work offers urgent insights for media and communication scholars across Africa and elsewhere.
Meet Your Colleague: William Tayeebwa
Whether in a lecture hall, a research fellowship abroad, at conferences, and beyond, Dr. William Tayeebwa is committed to using media to tip the scales towards peace. As Senior Lecturer in journalism and communication at Makerere University in Uganda, where he led the department for six years until 2020, Tayeebwa says: “I love teaching because of the interactions with dynamic students whom you see transforming into amazing professionals.”
Storylab: How a student project in Malawi is changing reporting
By Johanna Mack Filling a gap in journalism education, empowering young media makers, and sparking social change in the process: These are the goals...
Rethinking media development: A conversation with Dr. Michel Leroy
Recent research challenges the comforting assumptions behind global efforts to support journalism in developing countries. In light of intensifying...
AI can be a useful tool in journalism education
As Artificial Intelligence rapidly evolves, journalism education is entering a new era of innovation. Professor Cindy Royal of Texas State University predicts that AI will not replace educators, but empower them to guide students toward lifelong learning, critical thinking and ethical use of AI tools.