African storytellers have long played a vital role in informing, educating, and empowering citizens, bridging knowledge gaps, and driving positive change across the continent. By facilitating information flow, fostering public dialogue, and encouraging active participation, they strengthen democratic values and contribute to a more inclusive and empowered Africa.

Recognizing the urgent need for Africans to define and tell their own stories, both within the continent and on the global stage, the African Union’s Information and Communication Directorate (ICD) has launched the African Union Media Fellowship, a transformative platform aimed at reshaping the portrayal of Africa. The Fellowship seeks to provide a more accurate and nuanced representation of Africa’s progress, potential, and diversity.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of sobering findings from Africa No Filter research, which revealed that one-third of all news about Africa is sourced from non-African outlets. Additionally, 63% of African media houses lack correspondents in other African countries, and 81% of media coverage focuses on conflict and crises, overshadowing stories about trade, investment, innovation, culture, entrepreneurship, and everyday triumphs.

In response, the AU Media Fellowship equips African media practitioners and content creators with cutting-edge tools, training, and resources, with a strong emphasis on digital technologies, to reclaim and redefine Africa’s narrative. This approach aligns with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, and the African Digital Compact.

By providing a platform to amplify local voices and tell in-depth, ground-up stories, the Fellowship directly advances the AU’s Agenda 2063 goals, shifting global perceptions, promoting Pan-African unity, fostering inclusive, citizen-driven communication for sustainable development, and elevating Africa’s voice on the world stage.

More on the AU Media Fellowship: https://aumf.au.int
Africa No Filter research: https://africanofilter.org/our-research/research-african-media-covers-africa