LATEST FROM THE WCJ
In the age of AI, journalism’s greatest value lies in its humanity, says Bonn Institute CEO at 2026 KAS Media Lecture
As artificial intelligence transforms how information is produced and consumed, the future of journalism will depend on qualities that technology cannot easily replicate: human understanding, empathy, curiosity and the ability to navigate complexity clearly and...
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A resource for the journalists of South African and the African continent, featuring resources produced by the Wits Centre for Journalism. Sign up to the WCJ newsletter to follow the latest from our staff, students and research associates.
WCJ WEBINAR RECORDINGS
WCJ webinar – Under Duress: Journalism in Authoritarian Contexts
On 25 May, the Wits Centre for Journalism hosted Dr Richard Stupart for a webinar discussing a new report about journalism in authoritarian contexts. Stupart, a British Academy Research Fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and...
Webinar launch – Breaking Barriers: A Study of People With Disabilities in the South African Media Industry
In a population of more than 56 million, 3.3 million people in South Africa identify as disabled or as living with a disability. On an individual level, the disabilities within this community fall across a spectrum which is as complex as the lives of everyone. Despite...
Levelling the Media Playing Field: Lessons from South Africa
Three decades have passed since media reforms sought to create a more democratic, inclusive media in South Africa, providing a good opportunity to assess how successful those initiatives were. A new report, published by DW Akademie and co-authored by Prof Franz...
AI in African Newsrooms: Towards an Ethical Framework
The Wits Centre for Journalism and African Women in Media recently hosted a webinar exploring the debates, best practices and ethical roadmaps for deploying artificial intelligence in African newsrooms, featuring Dr. Grace Githaiga, CEO at KICTANet, Sara Elkhalili,...
NEWS
In the age of AI, journalism’s greatest value lies in its humanity, says Bonn Institute CEO at 2026 KAS Media Lecture
As artificial intelligence transforms how information is produced and consumed, the future of journalism will depend on qualities that technology cannot easily replicate: human understanding, empathy, curiosity and the ability to navigate complexity clearly and...
Top three African Investigative Journalist of the Year finalists announced
Johannesburg – The judging panel of the African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award have announced the top three finalists for 2026. The finalists emerged as the continent’s top contenders from a submissions pool of over 200 entries. The finalists, in no...
The ten moments Sol Plaatje changed South Africa forever
Solomon Tshekisho “Sol” Plaatje produced a body of political and intellectual work that few subsequent South African thinkers have been able to match, whether in journalism, politics or civic activism. This was argued by Wits Centre for Journalism (WCJ) alumnus and...
Africa’s top five investigative stories announced for 2026 AIJY Award
The top five finalists of the prestigious African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2026 have been selected. This year saw a record number of 204 entries received from across the continent, with the outstanding caliber of investigative reporting on display...
Wits Centre for Journalism hosts over 150 academics and communications professionals at the 2026 SACOMM conference
Johannesburg – How are humans asserting themselves in the time of technofeudalism? This is the question more than 150 academics and communication professionals looked to answer at the annual South African Communications Association (SACOMM) conference, held at the...
Call for Papers: Cross Current and Critical Encounters
The International Association for Literary Journalism Studies invites submissions of original research papers, abstracts for research in progress and proposals for panels on Literary Journalism for the IALJS annual convention on 19-21 May 2027. The conference will be...
WCJ welcomes Tshegofatso Ngwako as project assistant
The Wits Centre for Journalism is pleased to welcome Tshegofatso Ngwako, a passionate Witsie who takes on the busy role of project assistant in supporting the Centre’s growing programmes and activities. Tshegofatso holds a BA majoring in Media Studies &...
WCJ hosts content creation workshop with Dan Corder
The Wits Centre for Journalism recently welcomed Dan Corder to facilitate a hands-on content creation workshop designed for Wits students across all faculties. The first cohort included Witsies studying a wide range of disciplines - from humanities, law and business,...
Applications open for 2026 AIJC investigative journalism Masterclass
The African Investigative Journalism Conference, a project of the Wits Centre for Journalism in association with Bellingcat, DW Akademie and other partners, will host the 5th annual intensive training course on the latest investigative journalism techniques in...
STATE OF THE NEWSROOM REPORTS
State of the Newsroom 2025 – AI, Trust and Resilience: Building a Future News in South Africa
The 2025 edition of State of the Newsroom takes a detailed look at the possible impact of artificial intelligence on...
State of the Newsroom 2024 – Saving Journalism in South Africa and How Newsrooms Coped with the Elections
This State of the Newsroom report covers two main areas: job losses in the news media sector, and the challenges...
State of the Newsroom – 100 Years of Radio Broadcasting
This State of the Newsroom shows that radio has the powerful potential to continue to create the inclusive, democratic...
State of the Newsroom: Senegal 2023 (French)
State of the Newsroom Senegal deals with the profound impact of the internet on journalism in Senegal, disrupting how...
State of the Newsroom Malawi: The Politics of Information – Corruption Continued
The second State of the Newsroom report from Malawi is a follow-up to our 2021 report on the same country, produced in...
State of the Newsroom 2021: Outside the Mainstream
Edited by Alan Finlay, this State of the Newsroom report looks back on 2021 and explores whether innovative media...
WCJ RESEARCH & RESOURCES
Literary Journalism Studies January 2026 (Vol. 16, No. 2)
The latest edition of Literary Journalism Studies (January 2026 Vol. 16, No. 2) is now available and includes...
Baseline survey into safety of African journalists
In 2025, the Wits Centre for Journalism conducted a baseline survey into the safety of local and community journalists...
Press Council: Decoding the Code
> Download The media plays a very important role in a democratic society such as ours where competing rights often...