As part of its ‘AMAZE!’ project, the Erich-Brost Institute for International Journalism at TU Dortmund is organising a four-week autumn school for African journalism educators at the start of their careers, working in journalism schools and universities in sub-Saharan Africa. This autumn school is aimed in particular at the generation of thirty-somethings (post-doctoral students, young lecturers, etc.) who, for structural reasons relating to their universities or because they are academically isolated, have so far had few opportunities to exchange with their peers and expand their international network, even though they are on the front line in the transformation and quest for excellence of African journalism curricula.
In Dortmund, they will be trained by teams from the EBI and the Institute of Journalism, as well as by university didactics specialists, in order to strengthen the links between the theory and practice of journalism in a context shaped by the increasing digitalisation of information practices and the growing prevalence of misinformation and disinformation. There will be a particular focus on media coverage of migration in Africa and on transformations in international assistance to African media. Participants are expected to take this knowledge back to their home institutes, actively put it into practice and pass it on to their peers and students. The joint training phase, which will also include a trip to Berlin and other German cities, should create a sustainable regional network of young professionals. Participants will also meet relevant contacts from media outlets, journalism training, civil society, and decision makers.