By Mr Nkosana Dube
Government officials, international partners, newsroom leaders and journalism educators convened at the Bronte Hotel for Zimbabwe’s first National Research Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Journalism Education, signalling a decisive shift toward embedding AI within the country’s media and knowledge economy.
Organised by the Zimbabwe Journalism Educators Network (ZIJEN) with support from the Fojo Media Institute, the Level Up: AI & Journalism Education Summit brought together regional and international stakeholders to interrogate how artificial intelligence is reshaping both newsrooms and classrooms. ZIJEN President Dr Golden Maunganidze delivered the welcome remarks.
AI as a National Imperative
Officially opening the summit on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Chief Director in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Jonathan Gandari blended humour with policy direction.
“Last month, I got an email from someone who said we would like to form a community of natural intelligence,” he said. “I use natural intelligence — and sometimes artificial intelligence.”
Beyond the humour, his message was unequivocal: artificial intelligence is now a national imperative.
Linking the discussion to Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy, Gandari stressed that digital transformation is no longer optional.
“Digital transformation is not a luxury; it is a utility. Your pens and microphones are tools for development.”
He challenged journalism educators to move beyond descriptive reporting — the simple “what happened?” — toward analytical and predictive journalism supported by AI tools.
“That predictive journalism will assist government in policy formulation,” he said.
Calling AI “a force… a multiplier… an assistant to telling the story,” Gandari emphasised that technology must always remain guided by human judgement and national priorities.
Reclaiming the African Narrative
Gandari urged African journalists to shape their own stories in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and ensure AI systems are trained on local realities and knowledge systems.
“The story of Africa requires the African journalist,” he said.
Declaring the summit officially open, he warned: “If we as educators remain stagnant, we risk silencing the voices of our nation.”
Sweden: AI Must Strengthen Credible Journalism
Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden, Emily Kinloch-Perez, described the summit as timely and necessary.
“This gathering comes at a defining moment for journalism across Africa,” she said. “Artificial intelligence has evolved from a promising innovation into an integral part of modern newsrooms.”
While AI enhances data analysis and storytelling, she noted that it also raises complex ethical, professional and societal questions that demand thoughtful engagement.
“Journalism educators stand at the forefront of shaping how future professionals understand and engage with artificial intelligence. Their task goes beyond teaching technical skills. They nurture ethical judgement, critical thinking and digital resilience.”
She further stressed that Africa has an opportunity not merely to adopt global AI developments, but to help shape them.
In a significant diplomatic announcement, Kinloch-Perez confirmed that Sweden would be closing its embassy in Zimbabwe as part of a global restructuring process. However, she reassured delegates that the decision does not diminish bilateral relations or continued cooperation in the media sector.
FOJO: Bridging the Newsroom and the Classroom
Sofie Gullberg, International Programme Manager at Fojo Media Institute, highlighted the urgency of strengthening journalism education amid global instability.
“We do live in a dramatic world. There are conflicts in many places,” she said. “Supporting journalism education and journalism in different ways is more important than ever.”
Introducing FOJO’s EU-funded Agile project, which works with universities across 13 countries, Gullberg said agility, learning and resilience must define contemporary journalism training.
“We quite often speak about the gap between the newsroom and the classroom,” she noted. “Perhaps a first and very important step is to meet, engage in open dialogue, listen and start to critically discuss. From there, new ideas and collaborative pathways can emerge.”
She emphasised that AI discussions must extend beyond national boundaries.
“Discussing AI is not only a local matter… we need global responses and reflections from different parts of the world.”
Zimpapers: From Print Legacy to AI-Powered Newsroom
In his keynote address, Zimpapers CEO Mr William Chikoto detailed the organisation’s transition from a print-first institution founded in 1891 to a digital-first, AI-enabled newsroom.
“Our audiences are now digital-first — but we were not digital-first. So we had to speed up that transformation,” he said.
Zimpapers has consolidated multiple editorial units into a single platform-agnostic newsroom of more than 233 journalists and integrated licensed AI tools into its workflows.
“We have adopted AI tools and integrated co-pilot systems to support research, summarisation, transcription, graphics and workflow automation,” Chikoto explained.
He confirmed measurable gains in efficiency but cautioned against overreliance on technology.
“AI can amplify both truth and falsehood. Our rule is simple — human first and human last. AI assists us, but we must own editorial judgement.”
He noted that one of the most transformative shifts has been the rise of data-driven journalism.
“Gone are the days when editors simply dictated what they wanted to publish. Now we know what audiences read, how they engage, and how stories perform.”
Reimagining Newsrooms and Classrooms
Prof Nancy Booker, Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Communications at Aga Khan University, challenged educators to rethink newsroom and classroom cultures in the age of automation. Her presentation, Re-imagining African Newsrooms and Classrooms in the Age of AI, argued that African journalism must be an active contributor to ethical AI innovation rather than a passive consumer of imported technologies.
Prof Admire Mare of the University of Johannesburg described the current moment as one in which “the new is trying to be born while the old is refusing to go.” He noted that some journalism roles will disappear while new ones emerge, forcing educators to rethink the competencies required in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem.
While AI is transforming production and distribution, Mare emphasised that the core of journalism remains intact.
“Storytelling will remain constant,” he said.
However, he warned that many AI systems have been developed without African languages, cultures and data in mind, posing challenges to representation and digital sovereignty.
Scholarly Engagement and Panel Discussions
The summit featured 12 scholarly presentations from researchers representing Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and the United Kingdom, among others — reflecting wide international engagement on AI and journalism.
In addition, the programme included three high-level panel discussions focusing on:
- AI in the Newsroom: Practice, Innovation and Editorial Control
- Ethics, Policy, Labour Relations and Regulation in AI-Driven Journalism
- AI, Journalism Education and Academic Integrity
The panels brought together academics and practitioners to interrogate the opportunities, risks and governance questions arising from the integration of AI technologies into journalistic practice, media institutions and training environments.
Beyond the Hype
A recurring theme throughout the summit was that artificial intelligence must remain a tool — not a substitute for editorial judgement.
Participants called for curriculum reform, ethical guidelines, stronger data governance frameworks and structured collaboration between universities and newsrooms.
The summit concluded with calls to institutionalise AI training within journalism programmes and to strengthen research networks to ensure Zimbabwe and the region actively shape — rather than merely consume — the future of media technology.
As artificial intelligence continues to transform global information ecosystems, Zimbabwe’s inaugural National Research Summit on AI and Journalism Education marks a significant step toward aligning innovation with accountability in the African media landscape.
About the Author
Nkosana Dube is the Chairperson in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). He can be contacted on +263 772 399 489 or via email at nkosana.dube@nust.ac.zw
Image by Berke Citak via Unsplash.
This article was originally published by Ajenda Newsletter