By Google Gemini AI
The African Journalism Education Network (Ajen) roundtable which was held on 3-5 September, at the University of Media, Arts and Communication, Institute of Journalism (UniMAC, IJ), Accra, took some time to reflect on the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism education and in the newsroom in Accra.
Some participants said they used AI in their work, while others said they didn’t.
Ajenda sought to test if AI is indeed helpful in research and other tasks and asked Google Gemini AI to discuss the status of journalism education in Africa.
The tool gave the text below. Do we agree or disagree AI’s analysis?
Journalism education in Africa stands at a critical juncture, navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving global media landscape while contending with unique local challenges.
The continent’s diverse nations present a patchwork of approaches to training future journalists, with varying degrees of success in preparing graduates for the demands of modern newsrooms. This article will delve into the relevance of current curricula, the sufficiency and quality of journalism schools, what critical areas are often overlooked, and the key challenges facing journalism education in Africa, including the urgent need for specialised training in areas like climate change journalism.
Relevance of curriculums and newsroom preparedness
A persistent critique of journalism education in many African countries is the perceived disconnect between academic offerings and the practical realities of newsroom operations. Graduates often emerge with a strong theoretical foundation in mass communication, media ethics, and development communication but lack crucial hands-on skills necessary for immediate deployment in a fast-paced news environment.
Many curricula are still heavily reliant on traditional, print-focused syllabi, with limited practical immersion. This means students may understand concepts like gatekeeping and agenda-setting but struggle with the practicalities of chasing leads, verifying sources, editing stories under tight deadlines, or producing multimedia content.
In contrast, Western institutions often integrate student-run newsrooms, community media labs, and robust internship programmes, providing safe spaces for practical experimentation and the production of real content. While some African universities are adopting similar models, many are hampered by underfunding, lack of professional supervision, or treating such initiatives as extracurricular rather than core academic components.
The digital transformation has further widened this gap. While there’s an increasing inclination to include technology-related courses, poor internet access, and the high cost of equipment (laptops, cameras, editing software) limit effective implementation. Many media houses in Africa are increasingly reliant on digital platforms and multimedia content, yet graduates may not possess the necessary digital literacy or skills in data journalism, podcasting, mobile reporting, or AI-assisted storytelling. Collaborative curriculum co-design, involving active media professionals, editors, and digital specialists, is crucial to ensure relevance and alignment with industry needs.
Sufficiency and quality of journalism schools
The number of journalism schools and training centres across Africa has grown, with many countries having multiple institutions offering journalism or communication degrees. For instance, Nigeria reportedly had 66 centres of journalism education in 2010, a number likely to have increased since.
UNESCO initiatives, supported by organisations like the Google News Initiative, have engaged over 100 schools in the region to develop criteria for excellence in journalism education, indicating a widespread presence of such institutions.
However, the sheer number of schools does not automatically equate to sufficiency in quality or geographical distribution. Many institutions face significant financial challenges, limiting their ability to invest in modern equipment, infrastructure like campus newsrooms, and attract and retain experienced faculty staff.
This often leads to a reliance on outdated resources and teaching methodologies. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these issues, disrupting practical learning and internships as access to on-campus studios and computers became impossible, forcing improvisations like using mobile phones for video and voice capture.
Comparing the quality of African journalism education with other parts of the world, such as Europe, the Americas, and Asia, reveals several challenges. African media education has historically been undermined by its colonial legacy, with syllabuses, teaching materials, and theories often transplanted from former colonial powers.
This Eurocentric influence has, in some cases, led to a curriculum that doesn’t fully address the unique socio-political and economic contexts of African nations, failing to produce journalists equipped to navigate the complexities of a postcolonial continent.
While there are growing calls to “de-Westernize” or “Africanise” curricula, there’s a nuanced understanding that this doesn’t mean a complete rejection of Western philosophies but rather an integration of indigenous forms of communication, languages, and local contexts.
Despite these challenges, there are pockets of excellence and ongoing efforts to raise standards. Initiatives aimed at strengthening journalism education by integrating new UNESCO curriculum resources on topics like fake news, disinformation, migration, terrorism, and climate change demonstrate a commitment to improving relevance and quality.
What is missing to be taught and key challenges
Several critical areas are often missing or insufficiently covered in African journalism school curricula, hindering the comprehensive development of future journalists:
- Practical skills and hands-on training: As highlighted earlier, a significant gap exists in providing sufficient practical experience. This includes not just technical skills but also the soft skills of newsroom dynamics, pitching stories, and managing deadlines. Student-run media outlets, robust mentorship programmes, and structured internships are crucial to bridge this divide.
- Specialised reporting: Beyond general news reporting, there’s a growing need for specialised journalism.
- Climate change journalism: This is a particularly glaring omission. A recent exploratory study by the European Journalism Observatory (EJO) and Ajen in 2024 found that two-thirds of international journalism educators surveyed did not offer courses on covering climate change. This results in a lack of skills among journalists, making them vulnerable to misinformation and hindering effective public discourse on a critical issue for a continent highly vulnerable to climate impacts. Challenges include lack of curriculum flexibility, untrained teachers, resource constraints, and a misconception that climate change is solely a scientific or environmental beat rather than a cross-cutting issue affecting politics, economy, health, and livelihoods.
- Data journalism: The ability to collect, analyse, and visualise data is increasingly vital for accountability and in-depth reporting. Many African journalism schools lag in providing this crucial skill.
- Solutions journalism: Focusing on responses to social problems, this approach offers a more constructive narrative often missing in traditional problem-centric reporting.
- Investigative journalism: While some institutions offer courses, the practical challenges of investigative journalism in Africa, including safety concerns, lack of access to information, and financial constraints, necessitate robust training and support within academic programmes.
- Media and information literacy (MIL): In an age of rampant misinformation and disinformation, equipping future journalists with skills to critically evaluate information, identify false narratives, and understand the context of information production is paramount. Integrating MIL into curricula empowers journalists to not only be responsible producers but also to educate the public.
- Entrepreneurial journalism: With evolving business models in media, training journalists to be agile, innovative, and understand how to create sustainable ventures is crucial. This includes skills in audience engagement, revenue generation, and exploring alternative funding models.
- Ethical frameworks and accountability in a digital age: While ethics is a core component, the unique ethical challenges posed by digital platforms, social media, and AI require updated and in-depth discussions. This includes issues of privacy, misinformation, online harassment, and the blurred lines of citizen journalism.
- African context and indigenous knowledge: Despite calls for Africanisation, the incorporation of African knowledge systems, communication practices, and diverse cultural nuances into journalism education remains a challenge. This includes acknowledging and promoting African languages in media training.
Key challenges
Beyond curriculum relevance and content, several overarching challenges plague journalism education in Africa:
- Funding and resources: This is a foundational problem, impacting everything from infrastructure and equipment to faculty salaries and research opportunities. Underfunded institutions struggle to provide quality education and keep pace with technological advancements.
- Faculty development: Many journalism educators may lack recent practical experience or specialised training in emerging areas like climate change or data journalism. Continuous professional development for faculty staff is essential.
- Digital divide and infrastructure: Unequal access to reliable internet, computers, and modern software remains a significant barrier, particularly for institutions in rural or underserved areas.
- Industry-academia linkages: While there’s a growing recognition of the need for collaboration, stronger, more formalised partnerships between journalism schools and media houses are needed to facilitate internships, mentorships, and curriculum input.
- Press freedom and safety: In many African contexts, journalists operate under challenging conditions, facing threats, harassment, and legal restrictions. Journalism education must address issues of journalist safety, legal frameworks, and strategies for navigating hostile environments.
- Language barriers: Africa is home to a multitude of languages, yet much of journalism education is conducted in former colonial languages. Developing curricula and resources in local languages is a significant but necessary challenge.
In conclusion, journalism education in Africa is a dynamic field striving for greater relevance and quality. While there has been progress in establishing institutions and acknowledging the need for change, significant work remains.
Bridging the gap between theory and practice, embracing digital competencies, incorporating specialised areas like climate change journalism, fostering media literacy, and addressing fundamental resource constraints are critical steps towards producing a new generation of African journalists who are not only skilled and ethical but also deeply rooted in their local contexts and prepared to address the continent’s most pressing challenges.