With numerous challenges facing the media industry, now more than ever a shift towards a new kind of journalism is needed. One that focuses on creating long-term financial, social and environmental sustainability, and is built on the back of the basic tenets of good, ethical journalism, truly reflecting the values of the communities it serves. Journalism is not dying as many purport; it is evolving. This radical shift will require collaboration between responsible practitioners and educators in the industry, and it is our duty to shepherd this evolution in media spaces around the world. 

This was the resounding consensus from Africa’s first Sustainable Journalism in Practice conference, co-hosted by the Wits Centre for Journalism, Fojo Media Institute and School of Media Innovation at Aga Khan University, held in Nairobi from 23 to 25 March 2023. 

Click here to view a roundup and gallery from the event.

Building African perspectives: Sustainable journalism in Africa’s global engagements

The African continent is growing more robust within its engagements in the global economy. However, there are still cases of economies that are merely extracted consumers of the globe, and a media that only mimics realities rather than reshaping them. This requires an informed and sustained media framework, which can contribute to sustainable lives and economies on the continent, particularly as it interacts with the rest of the world.

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Climate journalism: what contributes to sustainable societies and media viability

Research commissioned by the Fojo Media Institute on climate change communication in Southern Africa has found that most reporting in media organisations is not aimed at normal, every-day audiences, and most reporting is from foreign media.

Speaking at the Sustainable Journalism in Practice conference in Nairobi, researcher and lecturer at the Wits Centre for Journalism, Enoch Sithole, said his research also found a skills gap among journalists reporting on climate change issues, and that many journalists are scared to tackle climate change reporting as they assume it involves a lot of complicated science.

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The role of content and representation in sustainable journalism

Journalism plays an essential role in informing the public and framing the issues or challenges of the day within communities, but how do these publications best represent and serve these different demographics? We heard from several African media institutions on how they're breaking through and making an impact on the continent.

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How to make digital journalism viable

“Get out of the media business. Journalism isn’t about more content, it’s about helping people make better decisions. Stop being the content business and start being the problem solving business,” said Rishad Patel, co-founder of Splice Media, who presented at the Sustainable Journalism in Practice conference.

Patel said to make digital journalism viable, it is important to have a business strategy that includes a product that people need and a product that people will find useful.

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African journalism schools can help rebuild trust in journalism, educators say

Journalism schools across Africa can help ensure that the media does a better job of protecting human rights and democracy, according to almost 60 participants in two recent consultations organised on behalf of UNESCO, the Wits Centre for Journalism and the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University. The consultations form part of of an initiative to strengthen journalism education across the continent. 

Speakers in the sessions said this leadership role includes: speaking out on issues to do with media freedoms; engaging with media watchdog NGOs; and providing on-site safety training for women journalists when newsrooms do not do so. Interventions such as journalism schools working with editors to help improve journalistic ethics were further suggestions for rebuilding trust in African media.

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Wits Radio Academy and Fojo host second phase of community radio management certificate programme

Wits Radio Academy, in collaboration with IMS Fojo Ethiopia, recently completed the second round of its community radio management certificate course for radio managers across Ethiopia. The Academy’s project coordinator, Jacob Ntshangase, led the first phase of training over the course of five days.

“Community radio stations are agents of social change, and enablers of social justice through facilitating social development within each area they broadcast to,” says Ntshangase.

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The Wits Centre for Journalism recently engaged with six students from Northwestern University, who are being hosted in Johannesburg by fraycollege until June 2023 working as interns at six major South African news publications. As part of their induction programme, fraycollege is introducing them to members of the South African media industry and giving them some insight into South Africa’s media landscape. They enjoyed some time with the career-entry honours students in the Wits Vuvuzela newsroom, discussing the successes and issues facing journalism in the country.

Webinar: Media Disruptors and the Business of Good News

Join Jamlab Africa for their next webinar, which will explore the business of good news in Africa, in conversation with co-founder of Feel SA Shahan Ramkissoon, and Vickie Remoe, CEO of The Vickie Remoe Show in Sierra Leone.   

Date: 12 April, 12:00 - 1:15pm.

Click here to register.

• Newzroom Afrika is looking for a politics reporter to join its team in Johannesburg. Applicants must have a minimum of five years reporting experience and be able to identify strong, unique stories. Deadline: 10 April. Click here for details.

• Journalists around the world are invited to apply for the JournalismAI Fellowship Program from Polis, the journalism think-tank at the London School of Economics. Explore innovative solutions to improve journalism through AI. Deadline: 21 April. Click here for details.

• African Liberty invites aspiring op-ed writers to apply for its 12-month writing fellowship, designed to train those interested in pursuing a career in critical and analytical writing. Deadline: 30 April. Click here for details.