Green Media Accelerator gives African climate justice projects major boost

Five innovative media startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have received funding to launch climate justice media projects through the inaugural Green Media Accelerator (GMA) bootcamp.

This initiative, organised by the Consortium for Human Rights and Media (CHARM) in collaboration with the Wits Centre for Journalism, Magamba Network, and the Fojo Institute, with support from SIDA, aims to empower media in bridging the gap between grassroots activism, environmental advocacy, and policymaking.

The bootcamp brought together young content creators, journalists, civic rights defenders, and environmental experts to explore the role of media in addressing climate change.

Follow the link to read more.

Handbook Download: Responsible Reporting on Whistleblowing

The Wits Centre for Journalism has produced a new handbook for journalists and media practitioners that guides responsible reporting on whistleblowers, in partnership with GIZ's Transparency, Integrity and Accountability Programme in South Africa and supported by the South African National Editors' Forum.

The project, led by the Centre's Dr Nechama Brodie and supported by prominent South African journalist Many Wiener, considers the role of journalism in not only protecting its sources, but also safeguarding ethical, accountable, and transparent media practices.

WCJ hosts Dr Peter Frey (Germany) for KAS Media Lecture at Wits

The Wits Centre for Journalism hosted the first Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Media Lecture of 2025 in Wits University's Senate Room on 18 March, welcoming former Editor-in-Chief of the Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen Dr. Peter Frey to explore the role of public service broadcasting in a democracy.

Dr Frey gave a fascinating and detailed lecture into the German Public Broadcasting System, and stressed the importance of it being independent of the country's politics - an issue many countries in Africa still grapple with. 

The lecture was followed by a lively debate with participants, including journalism students, media experts, and journalists.

The Wits Centre for Journalism invites all community journalists and media workers (including volunteers and freelancers across print, radio and digital) from Southern and East Africa to participate in a benchmark survey into safety among community journalists and media workers in these regions.

The information gathered from this project will be used to help inform future research and activities to protect journalists from risks and harms related to their work. Participation in the survey is anonymous and responses will be confidential. Anyone who wishes to take part in further non-anonymous interviews will also be able to share their contact information at the end of the survey.

Follow the link to fill out the survey.

The Wits Centre for Journalism is a proud research contributor to Project Maai, a newly launched initiative from our partners at climateXchange that aims to address a critical gap in climate change media. Maai will be a quantitative and qualitative based tool that will be a thinking partner for journalists to optimise and develop climate narratives that create impact.

The project seeks to reshape how the media addresses climate change by improving the reach, resonance, and effectiveness of climate news. The project is divided into two key phases: Phase 1 (November 2024 – March 2025) is dedicated to Research & Insight collection and analysis. Phase 2 is designed to build on the Phase 1 findings to create a comprehensive solution for enhancing climate reporting.

Click here to read more and meet the team.

ACRP hosts AI and podcasting workshop with independant media in SA 

The Wits Centre for Journalism’s Africa-China Reporting Project held a two-day workshop on Digital Media and Technology in Africa from 27 to 28 March, focusing on AI and podcasting, to equip independent media practitioners with the knowledge and practical skills needed to integrate AI into news production, as well as explore podcasting as a means of storytelling.

Speakers included veteran broadcast journalist and sessional lecturer at the Centre Charles Leonard, AI Advisor at International Media Support Paul McNally, and CEO and co-founder of Vambo AI Chido Dzinotyiwei.

Click here to read more.

REGISTER: Fireside Chat with climateXchange

Join climateXchange for their next fireside chat exploring what impactful journalism looks like in the climate narrative space and why it matters, from new revenue models to audience-first strategies.

📅 April 29, 12pm (SAST).

🔗 Register here. 

The African Investigative Journalism Conference returns to Wits University from 5-7 November in 2025 for its 21st edition, bringing another packed schedule of talks, panel discussions, masterclasses, workshops and networking sessions with some of Africa’s finest and most renowned investigative journalists, trainers and experts.

Keep an eye on the AIJC website for calls for participation and fellowship opportunities in the coming weeks.

• News24 is looking for a skilled multimedia journalist to join the team in Johannesburg. Applicants should be confident in recording, editing and field-producing in various environments under tight deadlines. Deadline: April 9. Click here for details. 

• The New South Institute seeks applications for its Journalist-in-Residence Programme, designed for experienced storytellers who can bring governance & public policy to life through investigative research, sharp analysis, & compelling narratives. Deadline: April 11. Click here for details. 

• Daily Maverick is looking for a Junior Newsletters Editor to join the team in Cape Town. Tertiary qualification and experience with relevant publishing tools required. Apply by April 24. Click here for details.