Sustainable Journalism in Practice
Conference Background
Conference Dates: March 23 - 25,
Conference Venue: Aga Khan University Centre, Nairobi
The Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) together with Fojo Media Institute and Wits Centre for Journalism invite you to the Sustainable Journalism in Practice Conference that will bring together stakeholders to discuss new ways of doing journalism, that is constructive, sustainable and grounded in an African context and based on the core values of independent, public interest journalism.
As the world climbs out of the corona crisis, we face the threefold threat of climate change, deepening polarisation and media companies’ bleeding economies. The impacts of the climate crisis are already being felt, not least in sub-Saharan Africa. Authoritarian regimes are growing bolder as major democracies are being torn apart from within. Countless media went down during the pandemic and many of those remaining fight for their existence. However, journalists rose to the challenge of reporting on a global pandemic and met their societies’ needs, resulting in increased trust in reputable news brands and rising audiences.
Now reporting must adapt to the current realities. Because, while much journalism is on track, some of today’s journalism seems to boost polarisation, news fatigue and news avoidance, not least among younger generations. We need to rethink and examine how journalism can be sustainable in itself, and at the same time better contribute to democratic, resilient and sustainable societies. This is equally true in East Africa, the Nordic countries, as in any part of the world.
