GFMD at Africa Media Festival (25–26 February)
At the Africa Media Festival, focused on the future of journalism and creative expression in Africa, Catherine Gicheru opened Day 2 with a keynote address. AI and emerging technologies again dominated the agenda, with speakers examining how they influence audience engagement and ethics — including “digital censorship” embedded in platform algorithms and terms of service.
Key themes emerging from the Festival included:
Redefining resilience: Resilience means actively creating alternative systems, communities, and funding models — not just surviving censorship or financial pressure.
AI as a tool, not a replacement: AI can support workflows and investigative reporting, but human ethics, judgment, and contextual understanding remain essential.
Owning the narrative: African stories must be authored locally, capturing indigenous knowledge and authentic perspectives rather than filtered through external lenses.
Solidarity beyond borders: Press freedom anywhere is a responsibility everywhere; sessions highlighted long-silenced independent media, including in Eritrea.
Sustainability and the creative economy: Speakers called for diversified funding through private sector partnerships and philanthropy, reducing dependency on traditional donor models.
Fiona Nzingo also led an interactive workshop, “Beyond donors: Rethinking the funding mix for resilient media in Africa”, in which participants mapped their real-world funding landscapes — from ODA and philanthropy to technology platforms, private sector actors, and development banks. Drawing on the Mapping of Media Assistance and Journalism Support Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa report, Nzingo reiterated key recommendations for a more sustainable media funding ecosystem:
Greater investment in core, multi-year, and risk-tolerant funding
Stronger regional mechanisms and more programmes led by African organisations
Strategic alignment around digital rights, platform governance, AI, journalist safety, and sustainability
Improved transparency and reporting from bilateral and philanthropic funders
Integrated media support within broader governance, peacebuilding, climate, and development agendas.
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