This site sets out the perspectives on challenges and opportunities for media freedom and building true in the media across the continent of a group of 24 senior journalists, media regulators, communications experts and champions of media standards from 10 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. The group – two cohorts selected in 2020 and 2021 but unable at that time to travel to the UK due to the Covid-19 pandemic – came together in London May to June 2022 for discussions on media freedom and trust facilitated by the University of Westminster, supported by the Chevening Foundation.
Over the course of 7 weeks from 3 May to 17 June, 2022, the two Cohorts explored: the state of the UK media landscape; differing perspectives on freedom of speech and debate in UK and Africa; the nature of mis/disinformation and its effects on trust in the media; differing strategies for building trust in the media in the UK and Africa; the funding of public media and whose stories are told; access to information and how to fund news and ensure it remains independent.
To do this, the course directors – Peter Cunliffe-Jones, former AFP news agency journalist and founder of the fact-checking website Africa Check, and Dr Winston Mano, a senior lecturer at the University of Westminster, worked with speakers including: ………………………………………….
For findings, please see the country pages and overall findings and conclusions pages via the Home Page.
The two Cohorts were composed as follows:
Cohort 2020
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Cohort 2021
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