NAIROBI, KENYA | February 25, 2026…The fourth edition of the Africa Media Festival (AMF) officially opened in Nairobi today, drawing participants from over 200 organizations and 31 nationalities into a high-stakes dialogue on the future of African storytelling.
Under the theme
“Resilient Storytelling: Reimagining Media Freedom,” the festival has pivoted
from merely diagnosing industry crises to actively wiring a sustainable
foundation for a sector seemingly under siege.
As newsrooms across
the continent face a perfect storm of shrinking revenues, mass retrenchments,
and sophisticated state-led internet shutdowns, AMF serves as a strategic
working platform for shaping the future of African media.
"We are here to facilitate the
collaborations that strengthen our ecosystem, connecting creators in finding
solutions to these many questions. Our priority is to ensure we move forward
together so no newsroom, media house, journalist or creative has to navigate
these periods alone," Said Martie Mtange, Curator, Africa Media Festival.
To wire a
sustainable future, Mtange clarified that African stories must remain rooted in
local contexts, focusing on social justice, the rule of law, and decolonization
of minds in how we propagate African narratives.
Organized by Baraza
Media Lab, the convening highlighted a stark new reality where AI-generated
summaries are wiping out traffic-based news business models, with governments
also utilizing new technologies to tighten information control.
Speakers described
the tendency by African governments of clamping down on media freedom as an
‘own goal’ that destroys the essential feedback loops required for stable
socio-political and economic governance.
"We are seeing
a growing restlessness among young Africans that is reshaping public discourse.
To wire a sustainable future for Africa’s media, journalists must move beyond
being mere participants to becoming contestants in the market economy by owning
our media houses, our intellectual property, as well as homegrown AI tools,"
said Daniel Kalinaki, Chair, Baraza Media Lab.
The next generation
of African media practitioners were challenged to move beyond being mere
participants in the digital economy to becoming owners of media infrastructure
as one form of defence against political capture and corporate consolidation.
In addition to
integrating mental health and psychotherapeutic support as a core component of
professional sustainability, speakers urged for collaborative resilience among
media practitioners as opposed to taking a lone ranger approach journalism.
"In these
moments of uncertainty, we fail as media when we work in silos. By talking to
each other and understanding the geopolitical superstructure, we can create
systems that produce resilience in these fast-changing times instead of driving
journalists toward self-censorship," said Christine Mungai, News Editor,
The Continent.
The convening
includes diverse representation from legacy media, independent creators,
funders, and global partners such as DW Akademie, Thomson Reuters Foundation,
Bloomberg, the Australian High Commission, Afripods, The African Editors Forum,
RNW Media and Journalists for Human Rights among others.
The festival will
culminate on Thursday with the inaugural Africa Media Awards, featuring the
newly introduced ‘Creator for Good’ award to recognize individuals who have
maintained excellence and spoken truth to power despite the prevailing economic
and political headwinds across the continent
As day one
concluded, organisers reiterated that AMF 2026 is not just a convening, but a
critical backup and reflective tool for an ecosystem currently being redefined
by Artificial Intelligence and shifting geopolitical power.
Ends…
About Baraza Media
Lab
Founded in 2019, Baraza Media Lab is a media and creative
platform that supports independent media, creators, and technologists through
funding, training, and collaboration. Its mission is to build a sustainable,
ethical, and inclusive media ecosystem in Kenya and re-imagine the future of
African media.
Baraza Media Lab is a growing community where Africa’s media
and creative minds come together to create, connect, and inspire. We create
spaces where ideas are realized, relationships are strengthened, and meaningful
change begins with bold conversations. Anchored in inclusion and a shared
commitment to impactful storytelling, Baraza empowers media and creatives to
craft narratives that reflect society, challenge perspectives, and ignite new
possibilities across the continent and beyond. For more information, visit www.barazalab.com
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