News

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

A study of 30 years of South Africa’s post-apartheid media reforms shows community media has grown but remains fragile. Radios and small publishers reach millions, yet underfunding and news deserts persist. Experts call for stronger policy, sustainable funding, and protection against political interference. Collaboration between government, donors, and media bodies is seen as essential to secure local information access and media sustainability.

Journalism in Ghana demands service, sacrifice and stewardship, navigating financial pressures, political interference and ethical dilemmas. Reporters face tough choices between truth and convenience, and the profession’s integrity relies on courage, resilience and public-minded reporting. Strengthening education, institutional support and ethical training is essential for journalists to uphold their societal role and guide public understanding with integrity.