Despite its profound impact on values, politics, and identities across Africa, religion remains one of the most underreported and misunderstood beats in journalism. Coverage is often limited to events rather than deep, investigative reporting — a consequence of limited funding, lack of institutional support, and the marginalization of religion journalism in many newsrooms.
These concerns were echoed by experts at the opening day of a three-day conference and workshop hosted by the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ), in collaboration with the Aga Khan University's Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) and KAS Media Africa (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung).
“Driven more by personal commitment than institutional support, coverage tends to focus on events rather than deeper analysis," said Professor Nancy Booker, Dean at GSMC. “To better serve audiences, religion should be reported with the same depth and seriousness as other major beats—offering context, respect, and critical insight into its role in public life. Religion is a subject that is as sensitive as it is powerful and as complex as the societies we report on."
The event aims to strengthen religion reporting across the continent by equipping journalists with the tools, context, and confidence to cover religion with the same depth and seriousness as politics, health, or economics.
The keynote speaker, Dr Andrew Kaufa, Coordinator of the department of Social Communications of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) called on learning institutions to train today's communicators to uphold professionalism while remaining sensitive to Africa's rich religious diversity.
“As storytelling increasingly shifts to social media, communicators have a responsibility to promote inclusivity, amplify diverse voices, and reflect a wide range of religious perspectives" he said. “At the same time, governments and media houses should invest in media literacy to help the public better detect bias, misinformation, and disinformation. Strengthening partnerships between media and religious communities is also essential to fostering mutual understanding and respect."
Hendrik Sittig, Director Media Programme Sub-Saharan Africa from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) stated that the political misuse of religion fuels division and conflict, often serving as a tool for power. “Religion is often instrumentalized to achieve political goals and secure power."
At the same time, Sittig addressed the issue of disinformation, highlighting how disinformation—amplified by Artificial Intelligence (AI)—has become a powerful weapon in hybrid warfare. “It spreads faster, appears more credible, and deeply threatens democracy by dividing and polarizing society," he stated.
Prince Charles Dickson, a founding member of the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) called for collaboration among journalists. “In a world where division often dominates the headlines, we—as journalists from diverse faiths and backgrounds—have a unique opportunity to model collaboration. I invite you to make this conference a space where our differences are not only tolerated but truly celebrated, where questions are met with curiosity rather than judgment. Together, let's learn from one another and build something meaningful."
