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.
Africa Trains Journalists for Newsrooms That No Longer Exist
Africa’s journalism schools do not have a talent problem. They have a reality problem. Across the continent, too many faculties are still preparing students for a newsroom that has already vanished: a world of cleanly separated print, radio and television tracks; predictable production cycles; and a professional hierarchy built around legacy media institutions that no longer dominate the way they once did. But the global media economy of 2026 no longer recruits on those terms. It increasingly rewards graduates who can move across platforms, work comfortably with digital tools, interpret and visualize data, understand audience behaviour, think entrepreneurially and use artificial intelligence responsibly. Too many African journalism graduates, by contrast, still leave university with theory-heavy degrees, thin portfolios, weak practical exposure and limited confidence in the tools that now shape reporting, distribution, verification and monetization. That is no longer an academic inconvenience. It is a labour-market disadvantage, and it is quietly excluding thousands of capable young Africans from the most competitive corners of the global media and communications economy.
African investigative journalism conference heads to Kenya for first time in 22 years
The African Investigative Journalism Conference, the continent’s largest gathering of journalists, will this year be held outside South Africa for the first time since its inception more than two decades ago. The 22nd edition of the conference will take place at the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications, in Nairobi, Kenya, from 10 to 12 November 2026, marking a historic shift for the annual event that has traditionally been hosted in Johannesburg by the Wits Centre for Journalism.
Zimbabwe Positions Journalism at the Centre of AI-Driven Development
Zimbabwe’s first National Research Summit on AI and Journalism Education looked at how artificial intelligence is transforming newsrooms and journalism training. Organised by ZIJEN with support from the Fojo Media Institute, the summit highlighted AI’s potential for data-driven reporting and newsroom efficiency, while stressing ethics, human judgment, and African perspectives.
CoMMPASS Conference: E-learning offers opportunities for African journalism education
The EU-funded CoMMPASS project wrapped up its three-year run with a final conference in Uganda, highlighting how e-learning can transform journalism education in Africa. Speakers emphasised bridging the gap between journalism practice and academia, promoting African perspectives, and using digital platforms for cross-border collaboration.
In the classroom and on the frontline: African universities redefine ‘excellence in journalism education’
“Journalism Education in Africa: A Review of Excellence in Practice in 10 Countries” looks at how journalism schools across Africa are redefining excellence in a fast-changing media landscape. The research by Alan Finlay, Anthea Garman and Pheladi Sethusa reviews programmes in 10 countries, highlighting efforts to balance theory with practical newsroom training while navigating resource gaps and uneven industry partnerships.
Fossil Free South Africa launches climate journalism fellowship to tackle reporting gap
Climate advocacy group, Fossil Free South Africa, has launched the Climate Media Lab fellowship to boost reporting on Climate Change in South Africa. The programme will support 20 journalists and digital storytellers with training, expert guidance and resources to help them add climate context to everyday stories.
EACA 2026 conference to reimagine communication in Africa
The East African Communication Association (EACA) will host its 16th conference in Kenya, with organisers promising a broad, cross-cutting conversation on media innovation, peace journalism, digital inequality and policy impact. Conference coordinator Dr Gladys Muasya discusses the event’s push to broaden communication scholarship beyond journalism, addressing issues from AI to conflict prevention.
Humans over algorithms: Wits Centre for Journalism to host SACOMM 2026
As the digital divide shifts from access to agency, the upcoming South African Communications Association (SACOMM) 2026 conference is set to tackle the rise of “techno-feudalism” and its impact on the Global South.
EVENT: ICA26 Preconference
The ICA 2026 Preconference “Practicing Trust: Media, Machines and Methods” explores how trust is shaped in contemporary news, media industries, and...
EVENT: ICA Preconference
The University of the Western Cape invites abstracts for the ICA preconference: “African and Global Media Representations of Africa”. This event foregrounds research critically examining how Africa is narrated, imagined, and negotiated in mediated discourse, both within the continent and beyond.
Meet Your Colleague: Fred Kakooza
For Dr Fred Kakooza, journalism education is as much a calling as it is an academic discipline. A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University in Uganda and Secretary General of the East Africa Communication Association (EACA), Dr Kakooza’s work is grounded in mentorship, research and an enduring belief in journalism’s power to uplift society.
Study shows how election disinformation exposed deep social faultlines in four African countries
A groundbreaking multi-country study has revealed how coordinated disinformation campaigns exploited social and political fault lines during recent elections in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, and how even highly media-literate university students remain vulnerable to fake content. The study, which was conducted by Africa Check with support from the Heinrich-Böll Foundation, provides one of the most detailed comparative analyses of election-related fake content circulated on social media platforms across the four diverse democracies.
New Publications in January 2026
Explore our latest list of new publications and articles that explore key themes shaping media and communication today. From investigations into election disinformation across African countries to research on how false narratives exploit social fault lines, they foreground African-centred perspectives on media, power and accountability in an era of digital uncertainty.
Press freedom under pressure in Somalia: Investigative journalism report paints a picture of violence and corruption
A newly released investigative report by Oktoober 24 offers a sobering, in-depth look at Somalia’s trajectory over the past year. Drawing on field investigations, official records and interviews, The Investigative Journalism Report: Somalia 2025 unpacks the country’s ongoing struggle to balance security, governance, economic recovery and fundamental freedoms.
AJEN AGM charts new path
The African Journalism Educators Network (AJEN) used its 2025 annual general meeting (AGM) to reflect on its rapid growth, outline challenges facing journalism training on the continent, and elect a new leadership to steer the organisation through a period of consolidation and expansion.