Supporting high-quality journalism represents one of our strongest bulwarks against online mis- and disinformation—according to UNESCO's issue brief on 'Journalism for Development'.

While the positive relationship between high-quality journalism and good governance is not a new claim, the latest issue brief synthesizes recent academic research, trends and case studies from social scientists to provide evidence-based arguments for the beneficial effects of journalism, particularly in the Global South. Authored by Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz with Anya Schiffrin and Dylan W. Groves, the publication urges governments to recognize media viability as a development priority.

The brief also offers recommendations aligned with the principles of the Windhoek and Windhoek+30 declarations, recognising the importance of free access to information and media independence in ensuring electoral accountability, shaping voting patterns, as well as strengthening anti-corruption efforts and good governance.

These findings and recommendations were launched on the African continent for the very first time during a panel discussion on “How News Organizations can Combat Mis/Disinformation, Serve Audiences and Boost Revenues while building a strong narrative of a resilient and growing African Continent”, at the 2024 AllAfrica Media Leaders Summit held from 8-10 May at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The launch of the Journalism for Development Brief in Africa follows closely from its recent launches at two other high-profile events in April, at the Italy National Press Club in Washington, DC and the International Journalism Festival held in Perugia, Italy, on 17 April and 19 April, respectively.

The introduction of the ‘Journalism for Development’ brief complemented the overall key message of this year’s Summit, which was themed “Re-engineering African Media in Times of Critical Transformation”. It focused attention on the importance of the media in shaping Africa’s development and explored how the media industry can adapt its business models, ensure sustainability, and enhance digital upskilling in response to a changing digital and information landscape.

Key speakers and regional leaders highlighted the importance of the media to Africa’s future and development. Opening the Summit with a keynote address, the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, called on media leaders to “tell Africa’s positive stories” and “shape Africa’s own narratives”, which frequently do not receive sufficient coverage in western media. Dr. Adesina also proposed the creation of the Annual Africa Media Prize to recognize African journalists and media practitioners who make significant contributions to showcase Africa’s development and achievements.

The summit is also a timely response to the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and automation on the media and information landscape. The disruptive and emerging technologies present massive opportunities for media to remain sustainable, impactful and relevant, but also present a host of challenges. This includes the rise of mis and disinformation and dwindling media revenues alongside the growth of digital platforms

She also shared UNESCO’s work on combatting hate speech, mis- and disinformation under the Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms and the EU-funded Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) project in Kenya, a multi-year programme which aims to build society’s resilience to online harmful content, particularly disinformation and hate speech on digital platforms. The project is also currently being implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia and Indonesia. 

In Kenya, the SM4P project has supported the establishment of the National Coalition on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Kenya (FECoMo), a multi-stakeholder partnership model between government, civil society, academia, civic tech, community networks which aims to foster inclusive and empowering online space for all Kenyans through policy, research, capacity-building and evidence-based advocacy.