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 July 2026
This latest list of publications explores the decolonisation of media and communication research in Africa, participatory communication and social justice in the Global South, the growing influence of social media on food literacy in Nigeria and family communication around sex and sexuality in South Africa.
works that explore the evolving landscape of media and communication across the Global South.
Journalism in a State of Constant Crisis: Exhaustion, Adaptation & Democratic Self-Assertion
At the annual conference of the International Communications Association in Cape Town in early June 2026, the panel ‘Journalism in Flux: Changing Perceptions and Narratives’ addressed a fundamental question: What happens to journalistic work when institutions become fragile, funding models collapse and democratic certainties fade?
Information campaigns on migration: The regulation of mobility in West Africa
How has Europe sought to promote anti-migration narratives in order to control the mobility of African populations? Julia Van Dessel’s doctoral thesis L’immobilisation pour horizon. Fabrique et enjeux d’un instrument européen de dissuasion migratoire en Afrique de l’Ouest : les «campagnes d’information et de sensibilisation» offers a new and insightful answer to this question. It thus joins the now considerable body of literature on migration information campaigns (MICs) and the externalisation of European migration policy[1].
News Avoidance, News Fatigue: New Findings at ICA 2026
In an era of polycrisis, polarisation and digital upheaval, the media usage patterns of audiences are also undergoing profound changes. News avoidance and news fatigue are increasingly raising questions about citizens’ social and political engagement in various political contexts and media systems. Several panels at the annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), held in Cape Town in early June 2026, also addressed these issues.
Howzit, Here’s the News: Amahle-Invelo Jaxa on AI, journalistic values and changing how we consume news
Amahle-Imvelo “Jaxx” Jaxa has built an audience of almost 400 000 followers by making politics, economics and current affairs accessible for everyday South Africans. Through short-form videos that prioritise context, verification and clarity, she demonstrates how digital creators are transforming the way news is consumed while reinforcing the enduring value of credible journalism in an increasingly complex media and information landscape.
As Guinea-Bissau’s democracy falters, journalism education becomes more vital than ever
By Dr Enock Sithole When political transitions stall and democratic institutions come under pressure, one profession often finds itself on the front...
Paradise meets progress: Beautiful Mauritius hosts Africa’s journalism education roundtable
Journalism and communication academics from the continent are packing their bags for the 2026 edition of the annual roundtable of the African Journalism Education Network to be held in Mauritius under the theme Reimagining African journalism education in a time of Technological Disruptions and Possibilities.
East Africa’s landmark media research initiative delivers publications and new knowledge
Two years after the launch of an ambitious initiative to strengthen journalism, media and communication research in East Africa, the project is beginning to produce tangible results, including scholarly publications, innovative research and strengthened regional collaboration among universities.
First PhD graduates at UCU signal a new era in Media and Communication Studies scholarship in East Africa
When Uganda Christian University (UCU) celebrates the graduation of the first doctoral candidate from its pioneering PhD in Communication Studies programme later this year, the occasion will mark more than an academic milestone.
AI, mental health and journalism to dominate EACA conference
Artificial intelligence, mental health, environmental communication and journalism’s struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing digital landscape will dominate discussions when journalism and communication scholars from across the globe gather in Kenya in August 2026 for the annual conference of the East African Communication Association.
For three journalism students from South Africa and Zimbabwe, a journalism degree is an emphatic ‘yes’
Rather than making journalism education obsolete, WCJ students Keletso Zwane and Jamie Ho, as well as Rejoice Kambarami, who recently finished her journalism degree at Midlands State University, argue that technological disruption has made professional training more valuable than ever.
From child TV presenter to the national broadcaster: Why Criselda Lewis went back to journalism school after two decades in the newsroom
By Enock Sithole When Criselda Lewis was just 12 years old, a chance visit by television talent scouts to her school changed the course of her life....
Why journalism degrees still matter in the citizen journalism, AI and social media age
As artificial intelligence transforms news production, social media turns ordinary citizens into instant publishers, and misinformation spreads faster than ever before, a fundamental question confronts journalism schools across Africa and beyond: Does studying journalism at university still matter? AJEnda sought the views of three journalism students and one who has recently graduated to know more.
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.