News
Ajen publishes a monthly newsletter, called AJENda, to keep colleagues aware of changes to the journalism landscape in Africa from an academic, research and professional point of view.
Meet Your Colleague: Anthea Garman
Anthea Garman’s self-description is as succinct as it is revealing. “Curious,” she declares, before qualifying, “Easily bored.” It’s a trait that demands constant stimulation. Without such intellectual engagement, she confesses, she’d be left feeling flat and uninspired but in a decade-long career as a journalist she found her match. Find out more about her in our Meet Your Colleague interview series.
Adoption of the Declaration on African Journalism Education in the works
Following the Rhodes University Journalism Summit held in April this year, work to adopt the Makhanda Declaration on African Journalism Education is in full swing.
Journalism education in the Ivory Coast is ‘theoretical, not up to date’
Journalism education in the Ivory Coast is “very theoretical and not up to date”, still following the theoretical approaches of the 1970s and 1980s, so says Prof Aghi Bahi, who teaches anthropology of communication in the Department of Communication Sciences at the Centre for Studies and Research in Communication at Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan.
Environmental investigative journalism in the spotlight in Mozambique conference
Media academics, journalists, researchers and students from across the African continent and the Americas will meet in Mozambique on August 15-16 2024 to discuss ways of strengthening investigative journalism in the country.
Meet Your Colleague: Wilson Ugangu
As a senior lecturer at the Multimedia University of Kenya and the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Media & Communication Studies, Professor Wilson Ugangu has dedicated the past 20 years of his career to researching issues related to communication access, covering conflicts in Africa and shaping the next generation of media practitioners.
Journalism educators in Zimbabwe form a new network
Journalism schools in Zimbabwe have come together in a new network that will be a platform for exchange, collaboration and advocacy. Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network (ZIJEN) was officially launched in Masvingo on the 14th June 2024.
Seychelles includes indigenous language in journalism education
The newly established journalism programme at the University of Seychelles is leading the way in teaching journalism in Creole, known in the country as Kreol, which although it was created by emigrant communities, is considered an indigenous language.
Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network launches in June
Organisers are excited to announce the launch of the Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network (ZIJEN) on 14 June 2024 at Great Zimbabwe University. The launch of the network stands as a significant milestone in advancing journalism education in the country.
New Publications in June
Explore our June list of new publications that highlight a variety of aspects related to the African communications and media studies research community. These works cover a variety of topics from xenophobia in the media to an exploration of the intersection between mental health and African communitarianism during COVID-19.
Pathways to viability: Community radio in Ethiopia
Ajenda spoke to Ethiopian media expert Asrat Seyoum, who recently conducted a comprehensive media viability assessment on Ethiopia’s community radio landscape through Fojo Media Institute.
Meet Your Colleague: Franz Krüger
Seasoned South African journalist and educator, Dr. Franz Krüger has mastered the art of rolling with the punches in the ever-changing media industry. “I like the intellectual challenge of engaging with an environment that is changing all the time,” he says. Get to know more about him in our Meet Your Colleague interview series.
Journalism students see an industry in crisis. It’s time to talk about it
It’s hard not to see the journalism industry as one in crisis. Across the country, the outlook for the future of news is — at best — uncertain. Not talking about the state of the industry is not an option for journalism educators.
Journalism graduates swelling newsroom staff numbers in Namibia
Namibian journalism graduates are increasingly joining staff in newsrooms, public relations and government jobs. This is a departure from a scenario where newsrooms, in particular, would employ people without journalism education and would train them on the job.
New Publications in May
Explore our May list of new publications that highlight a variety of aspects related to the African communications and media studies research community. These works cover a variety of topics from museums as spaces for healing and reconciliation and the impact of African communitarian values on mental health responses to critical examinations of media dynamics in Africa.
Tackling election mis- and disinformation
The digital and online realm has emerged as a battleground fraught with deep fake content
generated by artificial intelligence, propaganda, fake news and other forms of mis- and
disinformation. As approximately 70 countries head to the polls this year, the results will have
profound and long-lasting consequences.