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.
What the History of Argentine Television Teaches Us About the State, Market Power, and the Media
At a time when the foundations of democracy are being tested worldwide, it is important to understand the role media systems have played in recent authoritarian pasts. The history of television in Argentina reveals an unusual alliance between market logic and state control. It also illustrates how the government used entertainment as a means to create a sense of social normality.
Rethinking Communication in the Crisis of Democratic Institutions
Democratic institutions are faltering—and with them, journalism and the public sphere. Otfried Jarren argues that communication studies should not merely observe, but actively participate in reshaping the landscape.
Fact-Checking: Between Efficiency and Control
Can a machine verify the truth? As generative AI becomes increasingly powerful, fact-checkers face a fundamental question: How much responsibility can be delegated to algorithms—and where must clear boundaries be drawn?
African women journalists battle harassment, digital abuse and leadership barriers as new initiative seeks change
Women entering Africa’s newsrooms continue to confront a difficult paradox: they are graduating from journalism schools in large numbers, yet relatively few remain long enough to rise into editorial leadership or media ownership. Across the continent, concerns over sexual harassment, low pay, hostile digital environments and unequal career advancement are increasingly shaping discussions about the future of journalism — and prompting new efforts to support the next generation of women media leaders.
First ICA conference in Africa to tackle ‘communication and inequalities in context’
As global debates over inequality, artificial intelligence and information disorder intensify, the International Communication Association (ICA) will also hold its 76th flagship annual conference in Africa for the first time, a milestone organisers say signals a shift toward greater global inclusion in communication scholarship.
Global university boom leaves millions behind as inequality shadows higher education expansion
The world has witnessed an unprecedented expansion in higher education over the past two decades, with university enrolment more than doubling globally from around 100 million students in 2000 to 269 million in 2024. Yet, behind the celebration of mass access to universities lies a stubborn and widening reality that higher education remains deeply unequal depending on where students live, how much they earn, their gender, or whether they have been displaced by conflict, according to a UNESCO study released earlier this month.
New Publications in April 2026
Explore our latest selection of publications unpacking how communication drives social change, how AI is reshaping societies and ethical decision-making, and how digital platforms are transforming democracy and public life. Observe exciting perspectives on how knowledge, technology and storytelling continue to redefine media landscapes globally and across Africa.
Ajen round table 2026
The 2026 edition of the annual round table meeting of the African Journalism Education Network (Ajen) comes to Mauritius, from 12 – 14 August 2026. And you’re invited! The event is open to Ajen members and non-members, offering opportunities to hear from industry leaders and journalism educators, to discuss important issues of common concern, to learn and network.
NGOs step in to train climate journalists as formal education training gaps persist
Non-governmental organisations (NGO) are increasingly stepping in to train journalists in climate change reporting across Africa, filling a gap left by universities and journalism schools that have yet to systematically incorporate the subject into their curricula. In Mozambique, Mídia Lab’s senior media expert, Yuri Nota, says civil society organisations are playing a growing role in equipping reporters with the skills needed to cover one of the continent’s most pressing challenges.
New Power Centers in African Journalism
A new research project at the Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism is examining how BRICS+ actors influence professional standards and editorial practices. China and Russia are systematically expanding their media presence in Africa, while Western funding programs are on the decline. How do journalists navigate between geopolitical interests and professional autonomy? The international research project focuses on one of the central questions in current journalism research: How are geopolitical power shifts altering journalistic practice and professional standards in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Disinformation Isn’t Just Noise, It’s a Global Strategic Weapon
Disinformation is not a buzzword. It is a systemic crisis undermining truth and destabilizing societies across Africa and around the world. By design, disinformation deliberately spreads falsehoods to deceive populations, manipulate behaviour and reshape political outcomes. It is not accidental misinformation; it is purposeful, strategic and increasingly influential. In an era where digital screens are the dominant public square, the flood of engineered falsehoods threatens democracy, public health, economic stability and social cohesion. This danger is not abstract; it is measurable, pervasive and growing. If Africa and the global community fail to confront the strategic weaponization of disinformation with urgency and coordination, the consequences will be dire and enduring.
Training on environmental and climate change journalism takes off in French-speaking Indian Ocean nations
A new training initiative targeting French-speaking countries in the Indian Ocean is seeking to reshape how environmental and climate change stories are reported, moving beyond reactive coverage towards deeper, more analytical journalism. The programme, coordinated by the University of Mauritius with support from UNESCO, brings together working journalists from Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Djibouti. It also includes participants from Rodrigues Island, as well as a small number of journalism students and environmental NGO practitioners.
African media councils adopt Lusaka Declaration to bolster press freedom
Media leaders from across Africa have adopted a landmark declaration aimed at strengthening press freedom, promoting accountability and responding to the growing influence of digital technologies on journalism. Meeting in the Zambian capital, on 17-18 March 2026, the delegates to the African Media Councils Conference adopted the Lusaka Declaration on Media Self-Regulation, Accountability, Sustainability and Information Integrity in Africa. The event brought together media councils, journalists, civil society groups, academics and international partners under the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA).
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.