Call for entries - 2024 African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award

Calling all investigative journalists in Africa - entries for the prestigious African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award are now open! Supported by Absa and administered by the WCJ, the award recognises outstanding examples of investigative reporting from Africa that reveal untold stories, hold the powerful to account, question those in public life and serve the public interest.

The award is open to all African journalists or teams of journalists working in any media for stories from and about Africa, published or broadcast in African media between 1 June 2023 and 1 July 2024. The prize is US$5 000.

Click here for details and to submit your entry. 

Registrations are open - ticket discounts for the 20th African Investigative Journalism Conference

This year, the AIJC has introduced a number of ticket discounts for the three-day event to select groups, allowing more people to enjoy the benefits of Africa's biggest gathering of working journalists. These are as follows: 

• Standard ticket price is ZAR 4,200.
• 10% discount for groups of five to 14.
• 20% discount for groups of 15 and above.
• ZAR 2,940 for academic staff from journalism schools (proof of employment from an accredited journalism/media school must be uploaded).
• ZAR 2,100 for community media practitioners and freelancers (proof of employment from relevant institute required).
• ZAR 600 for journalism students (proof of registration for relevant degree in the 2024 academic year required).

Click here to register.

Wits Centre for Journalism celebrates bumper book publications

The Wits Centre for Journalism recently celebrated the most recent publications of its staff and students, recognising the hours of hard work put towards crafting important and engaging South African narratives. The event also highlighted the critical role played by the WCJ’s academic curriculum in developing some of these book projects.

The publications included Domestic Terror by Dr Nechama Brodie, Prof Lesley Cowling’s Babel Unbound, WCJ project coordinator Lerato Makate’s contributions to We Were Always Here, Dr Collen Chambwera’s chapter contribution to Streaming Video: Storytelling Across Borders, and the work of doctoral students Lebogang Seale (Hundred Years of Dispossession: My Family’s Quest to Reclaim our Land), and Lesley Mofokeng (The Man Who Shook Mountains).

Seale and Mofokeng’s books were born from the WCJ’s master’s program in journalism and media studies, which includes a longform non-fiction narrative research project that equips and guides students to tell impactful stories like these as the equivalent to a thesis submission.

Click here to read more.

Reminder: Wits University postgraduate application deadline

The Wits Centre for Journalism offers several postgraduate study programmes for aspirant and working journalists - career-entry honours, mid-career honours, master's and PhD. Should you wish to further your studies in journalism and media with the Centre, please be advised that all applications for the 2025 academic year should reach the university by 30 September, 2024. 

Click here for more information on how to apply.

WCJ team celebrates annual #WitsDay

Staff at the Wits Centre for Journalism recently took to the streets of Braamfontein for the vibrant annual Wits Day Parade, joining thousands of colleagues and students in celebrating all aspects that make Wits University a special institute of learning. 

The WCJ observed the occasion by doing what we do best - speaking up for journalism, because #JournalismMatters.

• IJNet invites journalists worldwide to register for an upcoming webinar series on election coverage: lessons from Venezuela & South Africa, featuring the Daily Maverick's Janet Heard. The webinars will bring resources, insights & more from reporters covering elections globally. September 11, 5pm (SAST). Click here for details.

• The Associated Press (AP) is looking for a talented journalist to join the team in Johannesburg, who will focus on fast-paced coverage of Africa. Applicants must have a track record of breaking and anchoring major stories and be able to work in South Africa. Deadline: September 19. Click here for details.

• News organisations can apply for the PolisLSE JournalismAI Innovation Challenge, a nine-month, grant-funded programme that will enable those selected to experiment, implement and share best practice across AI technologies. Deadline: October 10. Click here for details.