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.
New Publications in September
Explore our September 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 harassment in African journalism, digital life and global misinformation to African media coverage of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
African Journalism Students Establish Network
Concerned with the fact that journalism education “often falls short of preparing students for the realities of the profession, and opportunities for professional development are limited”, journalism students are establishing the Journalism Students Network of Africa (JSNA) to unite and empower journalism students across the continent.
Survey: Teaching climate change coverage as a part of journalism education in Africa and Europe
This survey is a joint endeavour of the African Journalism Educators Network (AJEN), the Afro Media Network and the European Journalism Observatory (EJO). It aims to collect information about whether and to what extent the increasingly relevant topic of climate change reporting is a topic in African and European journalism education.
Global topic, global reporting? Climate reporting in African countries and countries of the Global North
Climate change is one of the key crises of our time, but its complexity often makes it difficult to fully understand. Our perception depends heavily on media coverage While some studies have looked at the coverage of climate change in the field of science, risk and environmental communication, I would like to bring a new perspective with my doctoral thesis: a comparison of different countries, taking into account historical responsibility and international relations.
E-Learning as an opportunity for journalist training in Africa?
How can we improve our digital teaching and its impact? This question was the focus of a presentation by Michel Leroy at the international Media & Learning conference in Leuven (Belgium) on June 20, 2024, which he gave together with Dr. Sara Namusoga-Kaale from Makerere University in Uganda. The Media & Learning conference is an international event focusing on innovative approaches in digital teaching. Media & Learning [1] is a community of some 12,000 individuals and organizations seeking to maximize the benefits of media for learning.
African Journalism educators to hold roundtable in Nairobi
Journalism educators from the continent’s journalism schools, under the auspices of the African Journalism Educators Network (AJEN), will hold a roundtable meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 25-27 2024 to discuss sustainable journalism education.
New Publications in August
Explore our August 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 gender and the making of identity and the reconstitution of African cultural industries and societies to data journalism developments during the COVID-19 pandemic and how San and Khoe people struggle to maintain the remnants of their languages and cultures.
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.