WELCOME TO ajen
The African Journalism Education Network (Ajen) brings together people and organisations active in African journalism education as well as those interested in the field.
Ajen aims to:
Opportunities, resources and events for journalism educators
OPPORTUNITIES
EVENT: Namibia Media and Communication Conference
The 3rd Namibia Media and Communication Conference is set to interrogate the interesting times Namibia’s media and communications space is facing. From institutional changes of the guard in newsrooms and university-focused improvements, including new programmes and increased enrolments to the country’s first female Director General taking the reins at the national broadcaster.
EVENT: IAMCR 2026 Pre-Conference
Media Development at a Crossroads: Power, Funding, and Futures Beyond the Donor Era — PRE-CONFERENCE CALL FOR PARTICIPATION The IAMCR Media Sector...
RESOURCE: Training Workshop for South African Newsrooms and Journalism Classrooms
with queries.
SUBMISSION: Journalism Education and Generative AI
Generative AI has rapidly become a defining force in journalism education, reshaping how knowledge is produced, taught, assessed and understood...
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.
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.
more opportunities
We are united by the belief that democracy needs good journalism, and that quality journalism education can help the continent and its people get the information services they deserve.
WE ARE UNITED IN VISION
MEMBERSHIP
Join Our Network, Set the Standard for Africa’s media
Join Ajen Network to connect with like-minded individuals and expand your professional network. Unlock opportunities to learn more and improve your career.
NEWS & UPDATES
News
New Publications in June 2026
This latest list of new publications includes discussions on decolonisation of media and communication scholarship, the relationship between connectivity, media and women’s empowerment in Nigerian households, and how alternative media manifest and exist across the Global South. Added to this, a new book on communication as an agent for change in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Media on the Margins in South Africa – new book examines local and community media workings in post-apartheid
The Media on the Margins in South Africa book arrives at a critical moment for journalism and democratic communication in South Africa and across the African continent. Edited by Professors Franz Krüger, Sarah H. Chiumbu and Herman Wasserman, the volume offers one of the most comprehensive contemporary examinations of community and local media in post-apartheid South Africa.
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).